Vancouver, B.C, May 2, 2010 – Augusta Resource Corporation (TSX/NYSE Amex: AZC) ("Augusta” or "the Company”) announces that in a statement dated April 30, 2010, the Coronado National Forest has delayed the release of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Rosemont Copper project in Arizona in order to complete an additional plant study and additional groundwater modeling of development plan alternatives.
The Coronado National Forest must complete field surveys for a native plant (Hexalectris revoluta) thought to be partially coincident with one or two of the several alternative proposals for the dry stack tailings area siting on USFS land. The plant has an April-June emergent season, and survey teams are in the field to collect data throughout the season. The Company believes that avoidance of the known plant location is possible with minimal changes to project siting for the one or two potentially affected alternatives.
In addition, DEIS project teams conducting detailed groundwater hydrology studies will complete further calculations on potential impacts and mitigation measures for the alternative facility sites under evaluation in the DEIS. Hydrology experts have undertaken a comprehensive calibration and sensitivity analysis of the complex predictive groundwater models. The groundwater models evaluate potential for impacts of the various alternatives for the Rosemont Copper project. Completion of these studies will allow better comparisons between the alternative siting proposals.
Both studies are expected to be completed this July; a revised DEIS schedule will be available within the next two months. All other work on completing and reviewing the document for publication continues unabated.
Augusta VP Sustainable Development Jamie Sturgess said: "All pertinent issues need to be addressed, and experts are completing these last two studies after delivering almost 100 technical reports over the last three years. As Rosemont nears completion of this EIS process, we are pleased to see ever-growing support from the public and elected officials.”
Company officials agree that this modest delay to the DEIS schedule is necessary to allow the Forest Interdisciplinary Team and its third party contractors to produce a complete and comprehensive evaluation.
Scheduling for final public hearings and comment period will be released with the Notice of Availability of the DEIS.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Volunteers fence off abandoned mines near Havasu
LAKE HAVASU CITY - Using only sweat, muscles, hand tools and a lot of elbow grease, a dozen members of the Havasu 4 Wheelers recently inventoried, fenced and signed several abandoned mines on public lands in the Lake Havasu area including sites in California.
"Abandoned mines are one of the greatest hazards we have on public lands in Arizona," said Bureau of Land Management Lake Havasu Field Manager Ramone McCoy. "There are literally tens of thousands of mines left open in the West. We can't thank the Havasu 4 Wheelers enough for all their hard work making public lands safer."
"Abandoned mines are one of the greatest hazards we have on public lands in Arizona," said Bureau of Land Management Lake Havasu Field Manager Ramone McCoy. "There are literally tens of thousands of mines left open in the West. We can't thank the Havasu 4 Wheelers enough for all their hard work making public lands safer."
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Fatality Prevention - Rules to Live By
“Rules to Live By” is an initiative to improve the prevention of fatalities in mining. Through a first phase of industry outreach and education followed by enhanced enforcement, the focus will be on 24 frequently cited standards (11 in coal mining and 13 in metal/nonmetal mining) that cause or contribute to fatal accidents in the mining industry in 9 accident categories.
ARLINGTON, Va. - The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) today announced it has launched a new outreach and enforcement program designed to strengthen efforts to prevent mining fatalities. "Rules to Live By" will spotlight the safety and health standards most frequently cited during fatal accident investigations through outreach efforts with the mining industry and focused enforcement by federal mine inspectors. MSHA formally will kick off the initiative Feb. 11 in Austin, Texas, and Feb. 12 in Charleston, W.Va.
"While the mining community marked a record-low number of mining deaths last year and has seen a significant decline in fatal mining accidents during the past 10 years, too many miners still lose their lives in preventable accidents," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "MSHA and its stakeholders must remain committed to working together toward the ultimate goal of zero mining fatalities."
Over the past several months, MSHA conducted an analysis of the 589 mining fatalities that occurred from 2000 to 2008. The analysis identified the most common conditions and practices that contributed to mining deaths, as well as the most common violations of safety standards and root causes associated with these fatal accidents. As a result of that analysis, the agency identified 11 coal and 13 metal/nonmetal safety and health standards frequently cited in fatal accident investigations and grouped them into nine accident categories: falls from elevation, falls of roof and rib, operating mobile equipment (surface and underground), maintenance, lock and tag out, blocking against motion, and struck-by mobile equipment (surface and underground).
During the nine-year period, the highest number of coal mine fatalities occurred in West Virginia (94), followed by Kentucky (78). The highest number of metal/nonmetal mine fatalities occurred in Nevada (26), followed by Texas (21).
The fatality prevention initiative will roll out in two phases: industry outreach and focused inspections. During the first phase, MSHA will disseminate information detailing the causes of the targeted fatal accidents to every mine operator, labor organization and state training grantee, as well as other stakeholders. The MSHA Web site will provide compliance assistance materials such as engineering suggestions, packages of safety target materials and other information to ensure that mine operators and miners have the necessary resources to address and eliminate workplace hazards.
In mid-March, MSHA will begin focused inspections by paying special attention to violations of the 24 standards and reminding mine inspectors to carefully evaluate gravity and negligence - consistent with the seriousness of the violation - when citing violations of the standards that have tended to cause or contribute to mining fatalities. All mine inspectors will receive online training on inspector laptop applications specific to this initiative, enforcement summaries and inspector tip sheets.
"With the full support of the mining industry, 'Rules to Live By' should make great strides in preventing fatal accidents," said Joseph A. Main, assistant secretary of labor for mine safety and health.
ARLINGTON, Va. - The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) today announced it has launched a new outreach and enforcement program designed to strengthen efforts to prevent mining fatalities. "Rules to Live By" will spotlight the safety and health standards most frequently cited during fatal accident investigations through outreach efforts with the mining industry and focused enforcement by federal mine inspectors. MSHA formally will kick off the initiative Feb. 11 in Austin, Texas, and Feb. 12 in Charleston, W.Va.
"While the mining community marked a record-low number of mining deaths last year and has seen a significant decline in fatal mining accidents during the past 10 years, too many miners still lose their lives in preventable accidents," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "MSHA and its stakeholders must remain committed to working together toward the ultimate goal of zero mining fatalities."
Over the past several months, MSHA conducted an analysis of the 589 mining fatalities that occurred from 2000 to 2008. The analysis identified the most common conditions and practices that contributed to mining deaths, as well as the most common violations of safety standards and root causes associated with these fatal accidents. As a result of that analysis, the agency identified 11 coal and 13 metal/nonmetal safety and health standards frequently cited in fatal accident investigations and grouped them into nine accident categories: falls from elevation, falls of roof and rib, operating mobile equipment (surface and underground), maintenance, lock and tag out, blocking against motion, and struck-by mobile equipment (surface and underground).
During the nine-year period, the highest number of coal mine fatalities occurred in West Virginia (94), followed by Kentucky (78). The highest number of metal/nonmetal mine fatalities occurred in Nevada (26), followed by Texas (21).
The fatality prevention initiative will roll out in two phases: industry outreach and focused inspections. During the first phase, MSHA will disseminate information detailing the causes of the targeted fatal accidents to every mine operator, labor organization and state training grantee, as well as other stakeholders. The MSHA Web site will provide compliance assistance materials such as engineering suggestions, packages of safety target materials and other information to ensure that mine operators and miners have the necessary resources to address and eliminate workplace hazards.
In mid-March, MSHA will begin focused inspections by paying special attention to violations of the 24 standards and reminding mine inspectors to carefully evaluate gravity and negligence - consistent with the seriousness of the violation - when citing violations of the standards that have tended to cause or contribute to mining fatalities. All mine inspectors will receive online training on inspector laptop applications specific to this initiative, enforcement summaries and inspector tip sheets.
"With the full support of the mining industry, 'Rules to Live By' should make great strides in preventing fatal accidents," said Joseph A. Main, assistant secretary of labor for mine safety and health.
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