Resident warns council again about mining history, urges caution on water and air impacts

During the public comment period at the Feb. 9 meeting, resident Rick Corot urged the Town of Sahuarita council to remember the town’s past experience with Vulcan Materials and to block similar proposals that could threaten water and air quality.

Corot told council he recalled evidence presented at earlier hearings that a hot‑mix asphalt plant produced micron‑size particulates capable of traveling long distances and causing respiratory problems. He also repeated past concerns about "huge amounts of water" planned for use by an asphalt operation that, in his view, could drain the aquifer, and criticized prior traffic studies and lack of compensation for road damage. He concluded his remarks by emphasizing the central risk: "The water, the water, the water."

Why it matters: council members and staff have previously discussed similar concerns in other proceedings; public comment like this signals ongoing community sensitivity to mining, aggregate and asphalt projects and to whether town policies and permits adequately protect air and water resources.

What the meeting record shows: Corot presented a historical comparison and urged council to prevent the project from moving forward. There was no company representative on the record at this meeting to respond, and no formal action or vote related to the claims occurred during the session.

Ending: Council thanked Corot for his remarks and proceeded to the study session agenda; staff and consultants did not take formal action in response during this meeting.