Rosemont Greenfield Mining Project
It’s used in our power lines, roofing materials, water pipes, and circuit boards—copper is a critical element in our modern lives. More than 60 percent of our nation’s copper is mined in Arizona. To meet a growing need, Tetra Tech is helping develop the first new copper mine in the greater Tucson area in more than a decade—a mine that is being designed with environmental considerations at the forefront. Once operational, the Rosemont project will be one of the larger copper mines in the United States.
Located on a working cattle ranch near Tucson, the new Rosemont project is a major “Greenfield” mining operation that will employ innovative water conservation and recycling techniques. These techniques will allow the mine to use about half as much water as traditional mining practices. Project owners plan to offset 105 percent of Rosemont’s total water usage by recharging Colorado River water to the Tucson groundwater basin.
Tetra Tech performed siting studies and helped design facilities to minimize land disturbance and keep the facility footprint to a minimum. All facilities designed by Tetra Tech are being engineered to meet the highest standards for environmental protection. Finally, Tetra Tech’s closure and reclamation planning efforts will help ensure that only a small portion of the pit configuration will remain visible to the future desert traveler once mining operations have ceased.
Over its anticipated 20-year life cycle, the Rosemont mine is expected to annually produce an average of 220 million pounds of copper, 4.5 million pounds of molybdenum, and 2.7 million ounces of silver to help supply our nation’s growing needs.
Mining companies are exploring worldwide to supply the essential materials for today’s society. Tetra Tech is working with mining clients in Mongolia, Australia, Romania, Bulgaria, Peru, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, and most Central American countries to help meet this need.
