Residents urge Sahuarita council to reject Hudbay’s Copper World pipeline; company says claims are 'inaccurate'

Dozens of residents used the town's public-comment period to press the Sahuarita Town Council on May 11 to deny Hudbay Minerals the right-of-way and permits tied to its Copper World mining proposal, arguing the project threatens local groundwater, increases heavy truck traffic past schools, and could release toxic metals into air and soil.

"Arizona has agreed to reduce the state's intake by 760,000 acre-feet a year," said a resident during the comment period, warning that water available to local communities will shrink and questioning how Hudbay can meet its public promise to "replenish 105% of the water drawn from our aquifer." Other speakers cited a variety of concerns: the timing and feasibility of on-site processing plants, the number of truck trips on narrow local roads, long-term health effects from diesel exhaust and sulfide-mine dust, and alleged…