On January 31, 2013, ADEQ issued Air Quality Permit No. 55223 to Rosemont Copper Company for the construction and operation of an open pit copper mine at 21900 S Sonoita Highway, Vail, Arizona 85641. The facility is approximately 30 miles southeast of Tucson, west of State Highway 83, in Pima County, Arizona.

The final documents are listed below:

• Final Permit
• Final Technical Support Document
• Emissions Information
• Responsiveness Summary

Background Information

Rosemont Copper Company (RCC) has proposed to construct and operate an open pit copper mine, milling, leaching, and solvent extraction/electrowinning facility to be located at 21900 S Sonoita Highway, Vail, Arizona 85641. The facility is approximately 30 miles southeast of Tucson, west of State Highway 83, in Pima County, Arizona.

• Fact Sheet

RCC will primarily mine copper along with minor quantities of molybdenum, silver and other by-products. The copper mineralization in the area is a sulfide ore with a cap of oxide copper close to the surface. The ore will be mined through conventional open pit mining techniques and processed using floatation and leaching process to produce copper cathode. The proposed mine has an anticipated operating life of 20 years with peak mining rates of ore and waste rock of up to 359,500 tons per day.

Pursuant to Arizona Revised Statues (A.R.S) 49-402(B) and Arizona SIP R9-3-1101, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) has asserted complete air quality jurisdiction of the facility.

• Letter to Pima County Asserting Jurisdiction

ADEQ has proposed a draft air quality permit for RCC. RCC is accepting voluntary emissions limitations to stay below major source thresholds by using high efficiency dust filters in addition to implementing various dust control measures. Therefore, a Class II synthetic minor permit is being proposed for this facility.

• Initial Application (November 15, 2011)
• Emissions Inventory – Volume I
• Emissions Inventory – Volume II
• Amended Application (March 23, 2012)
• Revised AEROMOD Protocol (April 23, 2012)
• Final AERMOD Modeling Report (July 2012)

The public comment period commenced August 06, 2012 and ended October 31, 2012. A public meeting was held at Sycamore Elementary School in Vail, Arizona, on October 01, 2012. A public hearing was held at Sycamore Elementary School in Vail, Arizona, on October 09, 2012.

• Public Notice
• Draft Permit
• Draft Technical Support Document

All comments had to be postmarked, emailed, or hand-delivered no later than October 31, 2012.

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