Augusta Resources announced that the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) has delivered the preliminary final environmental impact study (FEIS) for the Rosemont Copper project to federal, state and local cooperating agencies for final comment.

“The PA FEIS concludes, supported by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, that the project would not jeopardize the continued existence of any of the 10 federally listed (threatened and endangered) species that may occur in the project area. The PA FEIS also concludes that the project will not result in adverse modification of any designated critical habitat. Further, as anticipated and planned for, certain monitoring and mitigation requirements will be required to minimize the impacts of the project.”

“The Rosemont Mine Plan of Operations and associated mitigation programs are comprehensive, progressive, and thorough,” Jamie Sturgess, Augusta’s senior vice president, corporate development and government affairs said in a release. “The issues and concerns of many parties have been addressed, through careful project facility siting, technology selection, pollution prevention, land and water set-asides, compensatory mitigation funding, community endowment efforts, and voluntary acquisition of ranches and rare surface water rights for preservation of habitat values.”

The USFS is also completing the record of decision (ROD) with the objective of issuing the ROD concurrently with the publication of the FEIS. Augusta expects both of these events to occur in the third quarter of 2013.

In addition, the Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) Section 404 permit continues to advance. The ACOE will use the FEIS to finalize the impacts and mitigation requirements for the Rosemont Project. Receipt of this last required permit is expected shortly after the ROD and publication of the FEIS.

“The USFS remains focused on moving the permitting process forward towards completion,” said Gil Clausen, Augusta’s president and chief executive officer. “This year will be a transformative year for Augusta and our project partners as we move from permitting into construction at Rosemont. Our team is fully prepared and ready to execute on its development. Project financing is moving rapidly to conclusion and detailed construction engineering and procurement is well advanced.”

Read the full release for Rosement Copper here.