Draft Water Quality Permit For Resolution Copper

Arizona Department of Environmental Quality Director Steve Owens has announced that ADEQ has issued a draft surface water quality permit for the Resolution Copper mine in Superior in Pinal County. The proposed permit sets standards for the discharges of treated mine water, stormwater & water from impoundments at the facility. The standards will protect surface water quality in Queen Creek & other local waterways & the wildlife those waterways support. The permit requires Resolution Copper to conduct seasonal water quality monitoring in Queen Creek to ensure compliance with the standards set in the permit.

If developed, the Resolution Copper Company mine will operate as an underground copper mine. There will be no open pits & limited waste rock piles. Exploration conducted by Resolution in '01-'03 indicates a large copper orebody more than 7,000' below surface. The draft permit is subject to public review & comment before it can be finalized. The public comment period for the proposed permit began yesterday & will be until June 30th.

Anyone wishing to provide written comments on the draft permit can mail them to: Director, Water Quality Division, ADEQ, 1110 W. Washington Street, Phoenix, AZ 85007. Mailed comments must be received by June 30th, 2006. After the public comment period closes, ADEQ will review & respond to all comments &, if needed, make changes to the permit based on public input.

Owens noted that his office has worked hard to expedite permits in rural areas, to help support economic growth, while protecting air & water quality.

The facility, formerly operated by BHP Copper, Inc., has been shut down since 1998. In May '04, the Resolution Copper Company purchased the Superior site. Resolution Copper Company is a Limited Liability Company comprised of Rio Tinto Mining Company and BHP Mining Company.