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Resident proposes managed discharge plan to reuse mine water rather than direct dumping
Summary
A local geologist proposed routing mine discharge into detention and recharge areas to restore groundwater, increase carbon capture and support downstream ranching and wildlife, and urged public engagement to influence the mine and Forest Service.
John Nordstrom, a self-described geologist who lives near the proposed mine, presented a technical proposal to the Nogales City Council on Oct. 1 that would distribute mine discharge into targeted hydrologic units to recharge aquifers and support the San Rafael Valley and local ranchlands.
Nordstrom described the scale of proposed mine discharge—"6 and a half million gallons potentially per day at full production"—and said his approach, which he has shared with USGS researchers and other experts, would place controlled detention structures at discrete ridgeline locations so water flows back into the environment in ways that enhance recharge and ecological function.
"What I'm proposing is to discharge the water, but do it in a logical methodical way so we're putting it back into the environment," Nordstrom said. He cited USGS scientist Laura Norman's work on built raw detention structures and said the approach could also increase carbon capture and help wildlife and ranchers who rely on surface flows.
Nordstrom asked attendees to download his full presentation from a posted website and to contact him for further information. He said he has shared the proposal with experts and with Representative Stahl Hamilton and that he seeks help convincing the mine and the U.S. Forest Service to adopt a different discharge strategy.
The presentation was given as public information; the council did not take action on the proposal at the Oct. 1 meeting. Nordstrom said the mine's expected operating life (about 50 to 75 years) makes the decision long-lived and that after mining ends, the groundwater effects could persist for centuries. He urged local leaders and residents to consider managed recharge options as part of mine planning and permitting processes.
