Arizona Sonoran Copper Co. (ASCU), an emerging U.S.-based copper developer and near-term producer, completed the General Plan Amendment with the City Council of Casa Grande to demarcate a 2,159-acre parcel of land for manufacturing/industrial use. With the new amendment, the company’s entire land package (4,698 acres of private land) will be sufficient to accommodate all the infrastructure envisioned for its Cactus Project, according to the company.
“The rezoning marks our sixth major permit received in the permitting process of the Cactus mine,” ASCU COO Ian McMullan said. “As a private landowner in Casa Grande, Arizona, we benefit from a streamlined permitting process at the state and county level. We are dedicated to supporting the local communities as a core value of our company, and we thank the community for their support in return.”
The increased land position increases the exposure to the 4-kilometer (km) mine trend while also improving future operational flexibility. The 4-km porphyry copper mine trend extends from Parks/Salyer, which the company is currently drilling to the southwest and extending northeast over the Cactus Project and into the Cactus NE Extension.
The council also approved a development agreement for these rezoned lands as part of the Cactus Mine. Included in the agreement are community benefits such as employment sourcing a minimum 20% from the local area, as well as the construction of viewshed berms along the eastern and northern portions of the rezoned lands.
These 100-ft berms will be built as part of construction activities and vegetated with local desert vegetation to fit with the landscape of the area. ASCU will also dedicate and develop a community bike path on the eastern and portions of the northern boundary that will tie into the City of Casa Grande’s new system of hiking and biking trails, thus providing for both residents and visitors the opportunity for healthy outdoor recreational activities.
ASCU is developing the Cactus Project, which includes the former ASARCO Sacaton mine that is situated on private land in an infrastructure-rich area of Arizona.
