I was born in Superior, Arizona (the only baby in the Magma Hospital nursery on that September morning) and spent my first nine years in Superior and San Manuel. Dad worked for the Magma copper mine. His lifetime of working in mines – copper, oil shale, coal and even diamonds – supported my family and paid for much of my college education.
I have deep respect and appreciation for the mining process and, more importantly, the people that make it work. My favorite childhood memories were formed while exploring the amazing landscapes around Superior and the Lower San Pedro Valley with Dad at the wheel of our old CJ7. Many weekend mornings began with a call and a plan to find water in the desert. They often ended with Dad, Sister, the dog, and me dirty, exhausted and full of stories of the wildlife and geological wonders we encountered — and keen to get back out for more.
Dad followed mining jobs to Colorado, Wyoming, Alaska, Yellow Knife, Canada, Chile, Argentina and more. But he always itched to get back to his favored area, Southern Arizona. He instilled in me a love and appreciation for this place. From the highest mountains to the lowest washes and all the hidden treasures in-between.
The Lower San Pedro River Valley is precious, not only for the memories I hold, but for its ecological significance for its wild and human inhabitants. There is literally nowhere like this place in the world. AND IT IS IN GRAVE DANGER OF BEING DESTROYED.
If the proposed mining operations are allowed in the Lower San Pedro River Valley, the plants, animals and people of this special region will be subjected to toxic pollutants and the literal raping and scraping of one of the world’s most unique and fruitful natural areas. I haven’t forgotten, either, the rancid sulfur taste when the San Manuel Smelter would belch a wicked fog that had our moms gathering kids from yards and streets to shelter indoors. Nor can I unbreak my heart from seeing pools of unearthly green goo seeped from exploration and tailings sites that decimated life for yards around them.
Yes, new mines will bring some jobs to the area. But it won’t be like it was in the region’s heyday. The vast majority of the money made from the proposed 28 square miles of open-pit mines, block-cave mines, and exploratory drill sites goes to out of state and foreign investors. Additionally, there is much more automation, now – translation: fewer jobs for real people. See, these companies know how to do better, but they don’t. They only “do better” if it improves their bottom line. The health, wealth and well-being of the area and its inhabitants aren’t part of that bottom line. We are a liability.
Lastly, beyond the toxic waste and tailings let’s talk about OUR bottom line: water. These operators plan to drain an estimated 175,000 gallons of water per month from the water table (according to a BLM hydrologist) once operations are up and running. That’s 2.1 million gallons a year. How will that once clean and pure water be replaced? It won’t be. What will the tainted water carry with it back into the water table from which we drink and bathe? The foreign mining companies think you don’t want to know — you probably don’t, frankly. And these operators aren’t interested in telling us the exact nature of the true damage they will do or saving us from the long-term, possibly catastrophic effects. Clean water is a finite, precious resource. Nothing can survive without it, not plants, not animals, not people.
For you, your kids, your grandkids, ask questions. Demand answers. Learn more about what will happen to the land and inhabitants of the Lower San Pedro River Valley. Please, join the resistance to the desiccation of this sacred place. Visit www.lowersanpedro.com to learn more and how you can help save the land and lives for future generations.
/s/ Kimberly Schmitz
Catalina (formerly of San Manuel and Superior)