Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Mining Water Biodiversity topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Patagonia Area Resource Alliance urges county to prioritize water and biodiversity ahead of proposed Patagonia Mountains mining
Summary
Patagonia Area Resource Alliance told the Board that mining claims in the Patagonia Mountains and proposed operations by South32 raise water, air and biodiversity concerns; PARA reported ongoing monitoring, lawsuits and requests for federal oversight and said the draft Forest Service environmental impact statement is expected by May 10, 2025.
Carol Schaeffer, mission coordinator for the Patagonia Area Resource Alliance (PARA), presented an update to the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Jan. 21 urging the county to prioritize water, species protection and community monitoring in the face of expanding mine claims in the Patagonia Mountains.
Schaeffer said the Patagonia Mountains area contains high biodiversity and that scientists identify the region as globally important because six biomes meet there. She told the board that the Santa Cruz Active Management Area (AMA) has “lost more than half of its groundwater,” and that there is no comprehensive groundwater study for the Patagonia Mountains’ rural areas. She said a University of Arizona graduate‑level study characterizes some mountain groundwater as “ancient water,” meaning withdrawals could take centuries to recharge.
Schaeffer expressed concern about a state permit that would allow a mining company, South32, to treat and discharge up to 6.5 million gallons of water per day into local surface waters as part of mine operations; she noted that the volume of water treated and discharged is not counted toward the company’s reported groundwater “use” in public statements. She also raised concern that mining companies are treated differently under state groundwater regulations and that the planned paste-backfill technique in mine tunnels could change local hydrogeology.
PARA described a set of legal and administrative actions: the organization secured an agreement with the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) to update three Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) reports that were more than 20 years old for water bodies near the mine area (Upper Harshaw Creek, Three R Canyon and Allen Gulch). Schaeffer said ADEQ also agreed to gather baseline impairment information for Harshaw Creek. PARA also said it filed a federal lawsuit asking the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to exercise more oversight of state air‑quality permitting, and that PARA and partners filed suit related to the Forest Service’s handling of cumulative impacts when it issued exploratory‑drilling permits; PARA said it submitted NEPA scoping comments after South32 entered the FAST‑41 program and expects the Forest Service’s draft environmental impact statement by May 10, 2025, when the public comment period will open for 30 days.
Schaeffer urged the county to press for better groundwater data, to support monitoring and to participate in discussions about community protections and benefits agreements with the mining company. She said PARA and local partners have been building baseline monitoring programs for water, springs and seeps, and that town and nonprofit volunteers regularly collect data that ADEQ scientific staff are now sharing in a common database.
Schaeffer concluded by asking the board to prioritize water protections, recognizing the county’s nature‑based economy and urging partnership with state and federal agencies and local organizations to ensure that cumulative impacts, groundwater withdrawal and air emissions are fully considered in permitting and NEPA processes.
