Public offers opinions on Florence Copper air quality permit
by Mark Cowling | Florence Reminder & Blade Tribune
Florence Copper isn’t only responsible for what it does underground, but for what it releases into the air.
Opponents argued at a public hearing on the project’s Pinal County air quality permit on Jan. 4 that for residents who are already dealing with iffy air quality, the mine is something they can’t afford. They further argued that the company allowed its last permit to lapse and should at least be made to start over and prove they can meet current air quality standards with a new permit rather than renewal of the old one.
“Pinal County must deny the request and instruct Florence Copper to file for a new source permit application,” Mayor Tara Walter told local air quality officials at the hearing. “Allowing them to operate under the old permit does not provide the protections needed for concerns regarding PM-10 (Pinal County’s non-attainment area for particulates) or ozone.”
