Arizona’s representatives from the national to state level are pushing legislation to bring high paying copper mining jobs to Arizonans.
U.S. Senators John McCain (R–AZ) and Jeff Flake (R-AZ) have introduced a crucial piece of legislation; the Southeast Arizona Land Exchange and Conservation Act of 2013, which will facilitate a federal land exchange to develop the Resolution Copper Mine while protecting environmentally sensitive lands in Arizona.
Once in operation, the mine is expected to generate over $64 billion in economic activity and tax revenue as well as supply as much as 20 percent of the nation’s domestic copper demand.
Delighted with the positive economic impact the legislation will have, Representative T.J. Shope stated, “The future survival of communities like Superior are heavily dependent on the health and vitality of our mining industries. With the implementation of this legislation, the people of my district will be able to maintain Arizona’s place as the nation’s undisputed leader in copper production
Congressmen Paul Gosar (R-CD 4) and Anne Kirkpatrick (D-CD 1) have cosponsored companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives which will mirror the language of Senate bill. According to the provisions of both bills, the Resolution Copper company will give the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management about 5,500 acres of land identified by the Department of the Interior as “important” for conservation.
These lands will include property near the San Pedro River, an important migratory bird corridor and wetland habitat for endangered species. In return, Resolution Copper will receive approximately 2,400 acres of Forest Service land for the exploration and development of the purest and most substantial copper deposit in the entire nation.
Representative Frank Pratt (R-Dist. 8) expressed his gratitude for the legislation stating, “The work that Senators McCain and Flake have undertaken on behalf of this indispensable project will sustain the fragile economy of rural Arizona for decades to come. I am proud of what they have done for the people of my district and for the entire state of Arizona.”