GRIP is a nonprofit environmental advocacy group that draws on local support and private foundations to promote community health and protect our quality of life. Despite our small size, we have taken on some of the largest challenges facing southwestern New Mexico. The High Country News (12/3/01) described us as 'a plucky group of activists' for prodding Phelps Dodge and the state to develop acceptable plans for mine closure and reclamation. We also promote planning, groundwater protection, and free-running rivers in the face of unsustainable development practices. Our approach to these challenges has been to bring technical, policy, and - when necessary - legal expertise to this area and then to combine these resources with an informed and involved public.

Development of Water Quality Regulation for Copper Mining Industry
1/25/12

The NM Environment Department kicked off today the first meeting of the Copper Regulation Advisory Committee, a multi-stakeholder group that will be advising the Department on water quality regulations for the copper mining industry. GRIP President and director of Responsible Mining, Sally Smith, and Rachel Conn of Amigos Bravos are representing the environmental community on this committee.

NMED has set up a website for the regulatory development process. The current schedule plans for public meetings in Albuquerque and Silver City the latter part of August 2012 with a public hearing before the Water Quality Control Commission in September and adoption of the regulation by the end of the year.

Action Alert!
Help us restore $1.5 million for Grant County groundwater restoration projects
1/24/12

We need your help to get $1.5 million in groundwater damage settlement funding restored to the Office of the Natural Resources Trustee that was improperly appropriated by the legislature to the Attorney General's office for Rio Grande water rights litigation, taking money away from needed groundwater projects here in Grant County.

GRIP's guest commentary on Heath Haussamen's nmpolitics.net explains how important wastewater and sewer projects in the Mining District and Silver City could have been funded had this money not been diverted elsewhere. The text of the article is included below.

Please contact Senator Howie Morales and Representative Rudy Martinez to encourage them to work with the legislature this session to restore $1.5M to the Office of the Natural Resources Trustee budget for needed groundwater projects in Grant County.

Points you could make:

• Legislature improperly directed settlement funding outside of Grant County, the location in which the groundwater damages occurred from mining activity;
• Grant County will forever be dealing with the legacy of mining and should be fully compensated for the groundwater damages caused by mining activities;
• $9.5 million in wastewater and sewer projects have been approved in the final groundwater restoration plan and could be partially funded if this $1.5 million were restored.

Senator Howie Morales - email capitol phone (505) 986-4863
Representative Rudy Martinez - email capitol phone (505) 986-4235

NMpolitics.net Guest Commentary: Restore funding for groundwater projects in Grant County
by Allyson Siwik 1/23/12

For more than a century, hard-rock mining has been a driver of economic development in Southwestern New Mexico, but not without significant environmental impact to the area's landscapes, water and air quality, wildlife and ecosystems. Since a chance inspection back in 2000 turned up 200 bird carcasses in the acidic waters of tailings ponds at the Tyrone open pit copper mine outside Silver City, state and federal agencies have pursued a natural-resource damage claim against Freeport-McMoRan (formerly Phelps Dodge), the largest publicly-traded copper company in the world.

Extending across 20,743 acres, groundwater contamination at Freeport's three mines, Chino, Cobre and Tyrone, will need to be pumped and treated forever to contain the existing plumes of heavy metals, sulfates, and other pollutants and prevent migration of contamination to aquifers and drinking water wells that would pose a health and safety risk for Grant County residents. Soils and creeks in the vicinity of the mines also have been contaminated, affecting wildlife and ecosystems.

The New Mexico Office of the Natural Resources Trustee (ONRT) and Freeport reached a $13 million settlement in December 2010 for groundwater damages caused by the mines. According to the consent decree, settlement funds are to be used by ONRT "to plan and implement projects designed to restore, replace, rehabilitate, and/or acquire the equivalent of ground water resources allegedly injured, destroyed, or lost as a result of the release of hazardous substances and non-hazardous substances at or from the Sites."

In signing the consent decree, the ONRT also agreed "to solicit public review and comment on the Restoration Plan and in no event will any project proceed without the publication in a newspaper of general circulation in the vicinity of the Sites of the opportunity to review the proposed project and submit comments on the proposal to the Trustee."

To read the rest of this article, click here.

US Department of Justice, NM Office of Natural Resources Trustee and Freeport-McMoRan Copper and Gold Inc. Reach Settlement on Wildlife and Wildlife Habitat Damages Caused by Chino, Cobre and Tyrone Mines
Company to pay $5.5M in damages and transfer 715 acres of grassland to City of Rocks State Park

1/9/12

The NM Office of the Natural Resources Trustee (ONRT) announced the availability of a draft consent decree that settles a complaint brought by the US Department of Justice on behalf of the Department of Interior, NM ONRT, and NM Attorney General against Freeport-McMoRan Copper and Gold Inc. (FMI) for natural resource damages to wildlife and wildlife habitat that occurred from hazardous releases from the Chino, Cobre and Tyrone mines. Once approved by the US District Court for the District of New Mexico after a 30-day public comment period, the settlement requires FMI to pay the US Department of Interior (DOI) $5.5 million in natural resource damages, transfer 715 acres of grassland owned by Chino mines to the City of Rocks State Park, and pay $59,750.99 to the DOI for related assessment costs.

GRIP Board President and Director of Responsible Mining, Sally Smith, stated "GRIP is pleased with this long-awaited settlement of ecosystem and wildlife damages caused by releases of hazardous materials from the Chino, Cobre and Tyrone mines. We look forward to working with the US Fish and Wildlife Service and ONRT to develop a restoration plan to restore, replace, or acquire the equivalent of natural resources that were damaged by FMI mining activities since 1981. This is a major opportunity to achieve significant ecological benefit in southwestern New Mexico and compensate the public for these extensive wildlife and ecological losses."

According to the consent decree, the complaint alleges that "natural resources, including, but not limited to, surface waters, ground water, terrestrial habitat and terrestrial receptors, and migratory birds, have been injured as a result of releases of hazardous substances at and from the Sites; as a result thereof, the public has suffered the loss of natural resources and associated services; and Plaintiffs have incurred costs in connection with the assessment of such injuries, destruction or losses."

"This settlement follows an investigation by the Trustees of alleged natural resource injuries related to the release of hazardous substances into the environment at and from the Sites, due at least in part from acid rock drainage, process solutions, smelter emissions, windblown materials, wastes, non-waste materials, and from other areas, sources, and operations at and in the vicinity of the Sites. The Trustees have evaluated potential impacts to natural resources....These included geological (e.g.,terrestrial and riparian soils, aquatic sediments), biological (e.g., aquatic, riparian, and terrestrial ecosystems), and hydrological resources..."

The 30-day public comment period began January 6 and ends February 6. The public may submit comments to the Assistant Attorney General, Environment and Natural Resources Division, and either emailed to pubcomment-ees-enrd@usdoj.gov or mailed to P.O. Box 7611, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC 20044-7611, and should refer to United States and State of New Mexico v. Freeport-McMoran Corp. et al., Case No.1:11-cv-1140 (D. N.M.), D.J. Ref. 90-11-3-08069.

Download documents:
Consent Decree
Complaint
Federal Register Notice

NM Office of Natural Resources Trustee Releases Final Restoration Plan for Groundwater Damages at Chino, Cobre and Tyrone Mines
Full Removal and Clean Up of San Vicente Tailings Selected for Funding

1/6/12

The New Mexico Office of the Natural Resources Trustee (ONRT) released its final restoration plan for groundwater damages at the Freeport-McMoRan Chino, Cobre and Tyrone mines. The final plan "identifies those restoration projects which would best compensate the public for injuries to groundwater resources that resulted from the release of hazardous substances from the three mines." The final restoration plan outlines $10.9M in projects: full offsite removal of San Vicente Creek Mill tailings; Santa Clara Wellhead Protection; Santa Clara Gravity Sewer Improvements; and Silver City North/Blackhawk Sewer Line Extension; Bayard Waste Water Treatment Plant Reuse Project; and Hurley Sewer Line Replacement.

Since a chance inspection in 2000 found at least 100 birds had died in and around the Tyrone tailings pond, both the U.S. Department of Justice and the New Mexico ONRT investigated violations by Freeport-McMoRan Copper and Gold Inc of the Natural Resource Damage provisions of the federal Superfund law.ONRT and Freeport-McMoRan reached a $13M settlement in December 2010 for damages to groundwater resources caused by release of hazardous substances such as copper and heavy metals at the Chino, Cobre and Tyrone mines. The areal extent of groundwater damages at the three mines is a total of 20,743 acres.

The final restoration plan represents "a diverse, regional portfolio of groundwater restoration projects that would yield maximum benefits to regional groundwater resources and are consistent with current approaches to regional water planning in the area," according to the final restoration plan.

"Because full offsite removal of the San Vicente tailings provides the best long-term restoration and protection of groundwater and surface water in San Vicente Creek, GRIP is very excited that this project is slated for restoration plan funding," stated Executive Director Allyson Siwik. "Clean-up of this site has been a priority for citizens concerned with leaching and runoff of heavy metals, contaminating soils, groundwater and surface water. Full removal of tailings materials from the area clears the way for redevelopment of the Silver City River Walk and enhanced recreational opportunities in San Vicente Creek."

Other projects to be funded include sewer line extension and improvements in Silver City and the Mining District, protection of drinking water supplies in Santa Clara and reuse of treated water from the new Bayard Wastewater Treatment Plant that would conserve 155 acre-feet of groundwater annually.

"GRIP remains disappointed that $1.5M of the $13M in ONRT/FMI settlement funds was appropriated by the legislature in 2011 for Rio Grande water rights litigation through the Attorney General's office and is unavailable to fund restoration projects in the area in which groundwater damages occurred," explained Siwik. "While GRIP has no comment on the merits of that case, we believe that this is an inappropriate use of settlement funds under the federal Superfund law. There is $9.5 M in Tier 2 projects identified in the restoration plan that could be partially funded if this money had been available, including the Hanover-Fierro Wastewater Collection and Disposal System, North Hurley Sewer Line Extension, Silver City Indian Hills Sewer Line Extension, and Silver City Ridge Road East Sewer Line Extension."

GetAGRIP NEWSLETTER
Fall '11

Page 1:San Vicente Creek Monitoring and Upgrades Keep Moving Forward; Mining Update: FMI Going Ahead with Plan to Resume Operations at Cobre Mine; $11 - Million Grant County Water Restoration Plan Near Completion
Page 2:Range of Arizona Water Settlement Projects Narrows as Deadline Apporoaches
Page 3:NM 2012 Legislative Session Begins Jan. 12; San Vicente (cont'd from p. 1)
Page 4:Married to the Mines: Global Copper Prices and More; Cobre (cont'd from p.1); Themac Seeks to Reopen Hillsboro's Copper Flat Mine, Despite Protests
Page 5:VVREE Weatherization Survey Confirms Savings of Money and Energy; VVREE by the Numbers; GRIP and GCC are on Facebook
Page 6:New Bilingual Viva Verde Guide Now Available in Hard Copy; Green Jobs Class Introduces Aldo Leopold High School Students to Careers in the Green Economy
Page 7:Gila Wood Products Demonstrates Benefits of 'Zerosion' at Slate Mine; Restoration (cont'd from p.1); Please Renew Your Membership
Page 8:Calendar of Upcoming Events

Introduction to Green Jobs Curriculum: NOW AVAILABLE!

The emerging green economy represents a tremendous opportunity for economic development and job creation in New Mexico. Given New Mexico’s significant renewable energy resources, range of incentives and progressive laws, the state is well positioned to experience significant job growth in a number of green industry sectors. The American Solar Energy Association estimates that 237,000 new jobs could be created in New Mexico in the renewable energy and energy efficiency sectors by 2020. How do we develop a well-trained workforce to meet future demand for these jobs, many of which are new and emerging?

Building capacity for green jobs workforce education and training is a prerequisite for development of a green economy in New Mexico. With funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Environmental Justice Small Grants Program, GRIP developed the Introduction to Green Jobs curriculum to build capacity for green jobs training and education for high school students in environmental justice communities in New Mexico that will equip students with the knowledge, skills and abilities to compete for employment in the growing green jobs sector. The curriculum achieves this goal through creation of a collaborative structure that will support and guide transition from high school to post-secondary training for green jobs for low-income students in New Mexico. The curriculum provides resources to improve access to skills development opportunities in green jobs and overall will strengthen the education pipeline to green careers.

Download the Introduction to Green Jobs Curriculum

Summertime Fun at GRIP!

8/4/2011

July was a busy and exciting month for GRIP. Besides the highly anticipated onset of monsoon season, GRIP was delighted to collaborate on a number of projects and events around Silver City. GRIP VISTA staffer Dan Hintz worked with The Wellness Coalition to host a week long Youth Volunteer Corps (YVC) crew focusing on watershed education and stewardship projects in San Vicente Creek. Dan also led a hike for The Wellness Coalition’s Young Leaders Environmental Education day. These events were great opportunities for GRIP to educate the youth in the community about their natural resources.

Dan and the YVC crew spent time conducting water monitoring in San Vicente Creek with GRIP’s new monitoring equipment, visited the Silver City Museum “Flood Season” exhibit, went on a San Vicente Creek scavenger hunt and picked up trash in the Big Ditch in preparation for Big Ditch Day. The crew enjoyed learning about the Silver City Watershed and San Vicente Creek while at the same time putting in work to collect valuable data about their water resources and make sure their creeks and parks remained trash free. The group ended their week together with a reflection activity where they drew pictures displaying their newfound conceptions and appreciation of their water resources.

While the YVC crew was a great example of how kids can play a big part in stewarding our natural resources, GRIP also helped organize a volunteer trash clean up in Silva Creek with seven adult volunteers. The volunteers spent two hours picking up garbage in and around Silva Creek between Highway 180 and 12th Street. Organizers of the event Dan Hintz and Nancy Cliff hope this is the start of regular trash clean up stewardship events in Silva Creek.

Last, but certainly not least, GRIP, along with Silver City MainStreet Project, Gila Conservation Education Center and the Silver City Museum, helped organize and host the first annual Big Ditch Day Festival. Big Ditch Day was held on Saturday, July 23rd in the Big Ditch Park and offered visitors guided hikes, educational stations, vendors, arts and crafts and music. The event celebrated the history of the Big Ditch, emphasizing the park’s connection with historic downtown Silver City. GRIP had a table at the event and showed off its brand new water monitoring equipment and recruited members to the Silver City Watershed Keepers. The first Big Ditch Day was a great success and brought many people down into the park and the ditch itself!

July has wound down, but GRIP hopes to keep this momentum going! If you are interested in future GRIP or Silver City Watershed Keepers stewardship events, please contact Dan Hintz at dan@gilaresources.info or at 575-538-8078. Also, GRIP encourages you to support the continuing efforts of these programs by making a secure, online donation on the GRIP website.

Poodwaddle.com