By Tony Davis | Arizona Daily Star
A White House advisory body is now informally involved in the contentious Rosemont Copper Mine dispute.
The White House’s Council on Environmental Quality is, in a sense, acting as a referee among various federal agencies that have taken different positions on the mine, Coronado National Forest Supervisor Jim Upchurch said.
A council spokeswoman confirmed later that the “CEQ has brought agencies together to coordinate with one another on their environmental reviews on this issue.”
If agencies can’t agree on the mine issue, it’s possible one could refer the dispute to the council for more detailed action. Upchurch declined to speculate on that possibility.