Grant County is home to two of the nation’s five largest open-pit copper mines, responsible for ongoing groundwater contamination, aquifer depletion, bird deaths, and the destruction of preciouis riparian areas.
Since 1998, GRIP has raised awareness of these issues and mobilized residents to voice their opinions at hearings and in letters to newspapers and decisionmakers. By hiring a national expert in mine reclamation, we have also educated regulators and the mines about industry best practices.
As a result of these efforts and the support of environmental groups statewide, the Tyrone and Chino mines have two of the nation’s best reclamation plans, backed by over $500 million in financial assurance.
As a partner in the New Mexico Mining Act Network, GRIP continues to defend the NM Mining Act and Water Quality Act from industry rollback attempts, such as with the latest water quality regulation for copper mining. Ongoing activities include monitoring the environmental impacts of the mines under operational permits, oversight of permitting for a proposed new haul road at the Cobre mine and permitting of a new mine near Hillsboro.
After an online public meeting in August, GRIP submitted comments on the revised Tyrone Mine Reclamation Plan that is more than a decade out of date. Our public comments focused on the ineffectiveness of the online public meeting format to address the public’s concerns with how Freeport-McMoRan intends to reclaim the mine site once operations […]
Freeport-McMoRan submitted an application to the state Mining and Minerals Division (MMD) to expand the Little Rock mine just west of the Tyrone mine. In addition to requests made by several residents that live adjacent to the mine, GRIP requested a public hearing on the proposal, citing a number of concerns that are of interest […]
On March 31, 2020, the Mining and Minerals Division (MMD) of the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department, rescinded its prior determination that the permit application for the Copper Flat Mine is technically complete. According to the MMD’s order, the mining company’s mine permit application is incomplete because the mining company has not demonstrated that it […]
DOWNLOAD December 2019 Edition of GetAGRIP and find out the latest on the Holloman Air Force Base proposal for F-16 training over the Gila, Responsible Mining update, Cut Your Waste Grant County Buy Nothing New campaign, the Gila diversion draft EIS, and the latest activities of the Silver City Watershed Keepers.
Fierro, New Mexico: Memories of a Mining Town The year was 1997. Hear the voices of the people from the mining town of Fierro who were concerned about the impacts from Cobre Mining Co.’s proposal to take down Hanover Mountain and expand the mine. Now more than ever, these community perspectives are important […]
PUBLIC MEETING NEW Chino 9 Waste Rock Stockpile Proposal Thursday, February 21, 2019 Bayard Community Center – Time TBA Freeport-McMoRan Chino Mines, NM Mining and Minerals Division (MMD), and New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) will hold a public meeting on Chino Mine’s application to construct a new 9 Waste Rock Stockpile (9WRS). Chino proposes to […]
Two urgent actions are needed TODAY on House Bill 220 and House Bill 255 to protect our community, our water quality and environment from the impacts of copper mining. ACTION #1 – CALL YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE IN SUPPORT OF HB255. THE BILL IS SCHEDULED FOR A FLOOR VOTE 2/20/19. HB255 would phase out corporate guarantees […]
Read or download the 20th Anniversary Issue of Get A GRIP Looking Back on 20 Years of Advocacy Sally Smith, GRIP President As I think about GRIP’s accomplishments over the past two decades, my thoughts keep returning to Margaret Mead’s sage advice to “never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change […]
Inactive since 1998, Freeport-McMoRan’s Cobre Mine resumed operations in July after completion of the bridge and tunnel over Highway 152. Hanover Mountain will disappear from the landscape within 4 – 7 years as the company mines its ore and hauls it to Chino’s Lampbright Stockpile for leaching using the new 3.6-mile haul road that connects […]
Update on GRIP’s Responsible Mining Program – Fall 2018 In April, GRIP signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with Freeport-McMoRan to resolve permitting issues related to reopening the Cobre Mine and the unacceptable delays in renewals for closure/closeout permits at all three of the company’s Grant County mines. In addition to resolving our specific concerns […]
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