TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Save the Scenic Santa Ritas and the Farmers Investment Company filed a lawsuit in late January hoping to put a pause on the Copper World Mine Complex.
The suit filed against the state of Arizona claims the state, "violated the Open Meeting Law when it secretly modified the terms of the right of way after it was approved by the department’s Board of Appeals during a Dec. 8, 2022, public meeting."
The Right of Way permit approved in late 2022 would allow Hudbay to build two pipelines on state-owned land.
But the suit claims that was modified without an open meeting to allow for six pipelines to be built.
“A bunch of citizens never really wants to sue the government right we want to be friends with our government but the government does something where they will follow their own lot and we have to hold them accountable,” says Rob Peters, Executive Director of Save the Scenic Santa Ritas.
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A spokesperson for Hudbay, the mining company behind Copper World, tells KGUN9 in a statement they believe the State Land Department followed all procedures when issuing the right-of-way permit.
"We expect that the court will uphold the decision. Issuing the right-of-way generated revenue for Arizona public schools from land that was not being used. This is precisely what the Department is supposed to do," says a spokesperson for Hudbay.
KGUN9 reached out to the Arizona State Land Department for comment, but a spokesperson says they do not comment on pending litigation.
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Blake Phillips is a reporter for KGUN 9. Originally from St. Louis, Mo., Blake grew up in Sierra Vista. During his college tenure at the Missouri School of Journalism, Blake worked for the NBC affiliate KOMU-TV in Columbia. He is excited to return to a place he calls home and give back to the community in which he grew up. Share your story ideas and important issues with Blake by emailing blake.phillips@kgun9.com.
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