May 9, 2008 Public Hearing in Elgin, Arizona for Proposed Rosemont Copper Project

PUBLIC HEARING IN ELGIN, ARIZONA
FOR PROPOSED ROSEMONT COPPER PROJECT

TUCSON, AZ, (May 9, 2008) –  The public is invited to make oral comments regarding the proposed Rosemont Copper Project on May 12, 2008 at Elgin Elementary School, 93 Upper Elgin Rd, Elgin, Arizona.  The meeting will begin at 6:00 p.m., and will continue until [?].  Spoken comments will be transcribed by a court reporter and will become part of the "scoping" record used to develop an Environmental Impact Statement.

While five previous public meetings were designed to inform the public about the project and to collect written comments, the next series of three meetings will be conducted as hearings.   Speakers who sign in, will be given a maximum of three minutes to address Forest Service officials who oversee the National Environmental Policy Act process, including Ms. Jeanine Derby, Coronado National Forest Supervisor, who is the deciding official. 

Two future hearings will occur June 7, 2008 at Sahuarita High School, and June 30, 2008 at a Tucson location.

Speakers will be selected on a first come, first served basis.  However, entrance onto school grounds will not be permitted prior to 5:00 p.m.

Alternatively, for those who do not wish to attend the hearing, agencies or individuals can submit comments by mail, FAX, or email as follows:

• Mail comments to Team Leader, Rosemont Copper Project, Coronado National Forest, 300 W. Congress St., Tucson, Arizona 85701
• FAX comments to (520) 388–8305, ATTN:  Rosemont Team Leader
• Or email to comments-southwestern-coronado@fs.fed.us

Comments submitted by mail, FAX, or email, are given equal consideration to comments made at public meetings.  Comments are welcome during the National Environmental Policy Act review until the draft environmental impact statement is issued for public comment (scheduled for March, 2009);  however, comments will be most useful if received during the public scoping period, which ends July 14, 2008.

Participants are urged to read the Notice of Intent prior to making oral or written comments.  The Notice of Intent is available online at www.fs.fed.us/r3/coronado/rosemont.  Those without Internet access may request a hard copy by calling (520) 388-8300.  Copies of the Notice of Intent will also be available at all public meetings.

The comments most useful for the EIS process should be directly related to issues associated withthe proposed action described in the Notice of Intent, rather than general advocacy for or opposition against the project..

For questions about the public meetings or the comment period, the public can call (520) 388-8300.

Additional information about the proposed Rosemont Copper Project is available online at www.fs.fed.us/r3/coronado/rosemont.