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 gaps in transparency and reporting by the company.

John Doherty, executive director of Save the Scenic Sanoritas, told the council the town's 2013 right-of-way license for Hudbay requires that the company recharge 105% of groundwater pumped with Central Arizona Project water, and said the group had notified the town that Hudbay operated five production wells in 2025 withdrawing about 10 million gallons without filing the required pump reports with the Arizona Department of Water Resources. Doherty said Save the Scenic Sanoritas had asked the town to investigate and to withhold further permits.

Multiple commenters asked the council to refuse pipeline easements and to demand written guarantees and monetary penalties if Hudbay fails to meet replenishment promises. Residents raised specific local-impact concerns — including an estimated 100–200 daily diesel-truck trips through the area once mining begins, continuous night-and-day truck traffic near schools, and the release of heavy metals during sulfide ore processing — and urged the council to call for a public hearing.

Hudbay representative Jerry Bammani (identified in the record as addressing the council during the public-comment segment) responded to several assertions during the same period, saying the company's outreach has been a listening tour and that some comments were speculative or inaccurate. Bammani said Copper World is subject to state and federal regulations and "backed by science-based studies, engineering protocols, and best practices to ensure the health and safety of our community," and pledged to continue engagement and provide timely, accurate information to town staff.

The speakers raised procedural as well as substantive questions: whether the mayor's public statements or an advertised full-page newspaper photograph conveying support for the project reflected a formal council position; whether Hudbay had complied with the town's reporting requirements; and whether the town has the authority to suspend or revoke pipeline-related permits if contract terms are not met.

What happens next: The council did not vote on a pipeline or permit during this meeting. Commenters asked the council to investigate alleged reporting violations and to consider withholding future permits pending review; the town manager and council staff did not announce a formal action or timetable during the meeting.

(Reporting note: Quotes and claims are attributed to the speakers who identified themselves in public comment. Technical claims about groundwater reporting and the town's 2013 license were raised on the record by John Doherty.)