Yes.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers approved a project by ASARCO (American Smelting and Refining Company), a U.S. subsidiary of Grupo Mexico, to support its copper mine operation south of State Route 177 in Pinal County, which includes a tailings storage facility.
According to the 2019 Bureau of Land Management final environmental impact statement (EIS), the Ripsey Wash Tailings Storage Facility will occupy 2,636 acres out of the total 7,402-acre disposal site.
ASARCO acknowledges that mining activities in Ripsey Wash could lead to environmental destruction and adversely affect 29 sites protected by the federal government for historical significance. The site could also reroute parts of the Arizona National Scenic Trail, and under its proposed action plan, the company “would have no requirement to mitigate noise and visual impacts to the White Canyon Wilderness, White Canyon ACEC, and the Arizona Trail.”
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
The Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting partners with Gigafact to produce fact briefs, or quick-response fact checks, about trending claims relating to Arizona.
Sources
- US Army Corps of Engeneers, Decision
- Ray Mine Taillings Storage Facility, EIS Executive Summary
- Arizona Trail Relocation, Analysis
- Aquifer Protection Permit, Permit 511395
- Bureau of Land Management, Ray Land Exchange
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The Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting is partnering with Gigafact to produce timely fact briefs, or quick-response fact checks, about trending claims relating to Arizona.
