TUCSON, AZ — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says it will issue a permit authorizing construction of a $2 billion copper mine in southern Arizona.
The Tohono O'Odham, Pascua-Yaqui and Hopi tribes oppose the project over concerns it would damage their ancestral homelands.
An attorney for the tribes has requested further consultation with EPA officials before construction starts.
The Arizona Daily Star reports that the Army Corps said Monday it will green light the Rosemont Mine 30 miles southeast of Tucson. Hudbay Minerals Inc. of Toronto is expected to build the mine and employ more than 400 people.
Construction has been delayed by a Clean Water Act permit from the Environmental Protection Agency that would allow dredging and filling on the property.
The agency says it is dropping further review.
