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The Rosemont Copper mine, located in southern Arizona, and is currently working to obtain all necessary permits to begin construction. The mine has been met with public opposition and the resulting argument has focused around the following areas.

Water
The issue of water usage is of key concern in the debate over whether the Rosemont Copper mine should be permitted to open. Depletion of ground water is the main effect a copper mine has on an area’s water resource. According to the Mountain Empire Action Alliance (MEAA), Rosemont Copper will use five thousand acre feet of water annually and will not have a, “legally enforceable obligation to replace the water that it uses”. However Rosemont will use half as much water for comparable production as other copper mines in Arizona. To further alleviate concerns over damage to water supplies, Rosemont Copper has been purchasing water from the Central Arizona Project (CAP) and storing this water in the local aquifer. As of now, upwards of nine years worth operating water of has been stored from the CAP.

Economic effects
Debate over what the economic impact of the proposed Rosemont Copper mine will be is another source of conflict in the debate over whether the mine should be permitted to open. MEAA presents the concern that “the economies of Tucson, Elgin, Sonorita, Patagonia, and surrounding areas will suffer” since tourism is a vital component of the economies of these areas. However, Rosemont Copper will be opening in an established mining district with other mines already in the vicinity. In addition to the Rosemont Copper mine having a minimal impact on the tourism industry, the mine is predicted to bolster the local economy. The Rosemont Copper mine will do this in two ways. The first way the mine will benefit the economy is through a direct stimulus. Direct stimulus includes wages to employees, equipment purchases, etc. It is predicted that the Rosemont Copper mine would spend $5.1 billion during the twenty five year production and postproduction period in the local areas, generating 406 local jobs and paying $438 million in wages and salaries. The second way that the Rosemont Copper mine will benefit the economy is through indirect stimulus. Indirect stimulus includes the constructing of new housing for mine workers, schools, service industries etc. to service the mining community. The total impact of the mine is predicted to include an increase of $96 million of economic activity each year; create 2,100 jobs; and will, on average, provide $38 million in additional income to local residents and “$385 million in additional demand for goods and services from local suppliers”.