The Arizona Daily Star (Tucson) ran a long story on Sunday about a consultant's report on the Rosemont copper mine that expects an 800-foot deep lake to form within 100 years after mining ends. The report doesn't show up on the Rosemont Copper website yet. [right, Santa Rita ridgecrest. Credit, Rosemont Copper]
Studies vary on Rosemont's impacts
A second story examines a Pima County-sponsored study that claims to predict groundwater impacts from the mine for the next 8,000 years. A trio of UA hydrology professors, Tom Maddock, Peter Troch, and Thomas Meixner, were queried about the validity of the study. The consensus seems to be that modeling for even 100 years is pushing the limits of current abilities. Although the groundwater effects are expected to extend longer, an 8,000 year prediction sounds unbelievable. Just think back to the climate and environmental changes we've seen in the last 8 millenia. Of course, none of us will be around in the year 10,000 to see how accurate the report is.