I was pleased to read your article "Reluctant Boomtown," which focused on the multitude of problems connected with the possible return of copper mining to the town of Superior, Ariz. (HCN, 2/18/08). It seems that in Superior some residents favor the mine and some oppose it.

You briefly mention another proposal, on the oak and pine-studded slopes of the Santa Rita Mountains near the city of Tucson, and note that "the locals ... are doing their best to stop it." Yes, we are! We want to say loudly and clearly that the mile-wide open-pit copper mine being proposed has few supporters other than the mining company and its investors. Virtually every elected official in southeastern Arizona has stated his/her opposition to the mine, from city council members to members of Congress. And there is huge public opposition.

With the leadership of our representatives in Congress, we will stop this mine, which has the potential to seriously deplete our already diminishing groundwater supply, put toxics into our drinking water, and damage the economies of nearby small communities.

Open-pit mining, as presently practiced, is an industry that belongs to the past, not the future. To learn more about the status of mining proposals in southeastern Arizona, contact www.scenicsantaritas.org.

Gayle Hartmann, President,
Save the Scenic Santa Ritas
Tucson, Arizona