Arizona plan for largest U.S. copper mine spurs economic, environmental debate

When former miner Roy Chavez heard about plans to develop the nation's largest copper mine near Superior, Ariz., he thought it might be the salvation of the economically struggling town where he'd grown up and served as mayor. But as he learned more about the proposal to tap an ore body more than 7,000 feet deep with a method known as "block cave" mining, he changed his mind. Now he fears that the project would be environmentally destructive and limit Superior's ability to develop tourism and other industries. "Mining is the nature of the beast in this area. I support the industry and the livelihood it provides," said Chavez, who comes from a mining family and worked in the Magma Copper mine nearby until it closed in 1996. "But there's a situation here with this project that just doesn't sit well with us." Resolution Copper Mining, a firm owned by subsidiaries of international mining giants Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton, is seeking a land swap with the federal government that would give it ownership of 2,400 acres in the Tonto National Forest, where the rich mineral vein was discovered a decade ago. In return, Resolution Copper would give the public more than 5,500 acres of land it owns in various parcels around the region...more