Environmental permit delayed at Augusta’s Rosemont project

A recent sighting of a wildcat known as an ocelot near Augusta Resource’s (TSX: AZC; NYSE: AZC) Rosemont copper project near Tucson, AZ, has triggered US environmental authorities to believe further consultation is needed before the company could receive its final record of decision (ROD), one of the two major permits remaining before it could start construction.

On May 22, Augusta reported that the US Fish and Wildlife Service (US FWS) sent a letter to the US Forest Service (USFS) listing reasons why it thought it should restart the consultation on Augusta’s flagship project, including the ocelot spotting.

A remote camera operated by the University of Arizona recently photographed a lone male ocelot in the Santa Rita Mountains near the Rosemont project, writes Laurentian Bank analyst Chris Chang in a note. …

Chang adds that agency also suggested more work is required on the effects of groundwater drawdown on aquatic and riparian species near the project and has identified the northern Mexican garter snake and yellow billed cuckoo as new species that may be impacted by Rosemont.

Read the complete story at NorthernMiner.com/news/environmental