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Augusta Announces Receipt
of State Approval for Rosemont Reclamation Plan and Economic Impact Study
VANCOUVER, B.C., July 15, 2009 -
Augusta Resource Corporation (TSX/NYSE Amex: AZC) (“Augusta���
or “the Company���) has
received written notification from the Arizona State Mine Inspector that the
Rosemont Copper Project Mined Land Reclamation Plan has been approved.
The Rosemont reclamation plan calls for reclamation to begin after the
first year of production and continue concurrently throughout the life of the
project. Rosemont has contracted with the University of Arizona to study
which native plants will re-vegetate most quickly to support the habitat, and
to date that work has been limited to greenhouse research. With the approval
by the Mine Inspector of the reclamation plan, these studies can now include
construction of test plots on the site to evaluate the greenhouse
re-vegetation results into the real setting in which they will be utilized.
Augusta President and CEO Gil Clausen said: “Receipt
of the reclamation permit is an important milestone for our project. We can
now look forward to providing all of the financial information to assure the
department and the community that reclamation at Rosemont will be done in the
most environmentally responsible way possible.���
He added that the permitting process remains on schedule. “This
approval takes us one step closer to advancing the Rosemont project into development.���
Augusta has already received the necessary permit for groundwater
withdrawal from the Arizona Department of Water Resources. Rosemont is
committed to replacing as much available water as possible in advance to
replenish the groundwater it will use. To date 45,000 acre-feet of water, or
approximately eight years��� worth, has been
purchased from the Central Arizona Project and by the end of 2009 all will be
recharged into the Tucson Active Management Area aquifer.
Augusta continues to advance the regulatory approval process, which is
expected to be completed over the next 12 months with Record of Decision
(ROD) scheduled for July 2010. The ROD will be issued by the Forest Service and
Bureau of Land Management for mining activities on public land and the Army
Corps of Engineers for the impact of mining activities on U.S. waters.
Economic Impact Study
On July 7, 2009 Arizona State University published an economic impact study
that concluded the Rosemont mine will generate more than US$745 million a
year in economic benefits to Pima and Santa Cruz counties over its 20-year
mine life. According to the study, the Rosemont mine is also expected to add
an average of $82 million per year during the construction phase as well as
residual benefits of $75 million annually even five years after the mine
shuts down. The study was commissioned by the Arizona Department of Mines and
Mineral Resources and was done by the Seidman
Research Institute at Arizona State University’s
W.P. Carey School of Business.
About Augusta
Augusta is a base metals company focused on advancing the Rosemont Copper
deposit near Tucson, Arizona. Rosemont currently hosts a large
copper/molybdenum reserve that may account for about 10% of US copper output
once in production in late 2011 (for details refer to http://www.augustaresource.com/).
The exceptional experience and strength of Augusta’s
management team, combined with the developed infrastructure and robust
economics of the Rosemont project, will propel Augusta to become a solid
mid-tier copper producer by 2012. The Company is traded on the Toronto Stock
Exchange and the NYSE Amex under the symbol AZC, and on the Frankfurt Stock
Exchange under the symbol A5R.
For additional information
please visit http://www.augustaresource.com/or
contact:
Meghan Brown, Investor
Relations Manager
tel 604 638 2002
email mbrown@augustaresource.com
CAUTIONARY STATEMENTS REGARDING FORWARD LOOKING
INFORMATION
Certain of the statements made and information contained herein and in the
documents incorporated by reference may contain forward-looking statements or
information within the meaning of the United States Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and forward looking statements
or information within the meaning of the Securities Act (Ontario). Forward-
looking statements or information include statements regarding the
expectations and beliefs of management. Forward looking statements or
information include, but are not limited to, statements or information with
respect to known or unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may
cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company, or
industry results, to be materially different from any future results,
performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking
statements or information. Forward-looking statements or information are
subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual
events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking
statements or information, including, without limitation, risks and uncertainties
relating to the Company’s plans at its Rosemont
Property and other mineral properties, the interpretation of drill results
and the estimation of mineral resources and reserves, the geology, grade and
continuity of mineral deposits, the possibility that future exploration,
development or mining results will not be consistent with the Company’s expectations, metal recoveries, accidents,
equipment breakdowns, title matters, labor disputes
or other unanticipated difficulties with or interruptions in production and
operations, the potential for delays in exploration or development activities
or the completion of feasibility studies, the inherent uncertainty of
production and cost estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and
expenses, commodity price fluctuations, currency fluctuations, failure to
obtain adequate financing on a timely basis, the effect of hedging activities,
including margin limits and margin calls, regulatory restrictions, including
environmental regulatory restrictions and liability, the speculative nature
of mineral exploration, dilution, competition, loss of key employees, and
other risks and uncertainties, including those described under “Risk Factors Relating to the Company’s
Business��� in the Company’s
Annual Information Form dated March 25, 2009. Should one or more of these
risks and uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove
incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in
forward-looking statements. Accordingly, readers are advised not to place
undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. We do not expect
to update forward-looking statements or information continually as conditions
change, and you are referred to the full discussion of the Company’s business contained in the Company’s
reports filed with the securities regulatory authorities in Canada and the
United States.
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