Feb 2017, Copper Mine, Green Valley

South of Tucson, the west horizon displays mountain high terraced tailings leftover from the copper mines.  We wanted to see what was on the other side of these giant piles.  We took a mining tour. Our tour guide gave us the "company line" about how careful the company is to preserve the landscape, how these leftover ground up rock terraces are "replanted with native plants so that over time, they will blend in."  He also reported the need for copper which this Mexican owned company supplies.  All very true and this industry pays workers very well and is probably responsible for the expansion of Sahuarita and Green Valley communities. ( Not everyone here is over 70.)    

Here's some information from the company web page.. 

ASARCO was organized in 1899 as American Smelting And Refining Company. Originally a consolidation of a number of lead-silver smelting companies, the Company has evolved over the years into an integrated producer of copper, and other metals.

The Company is a fully integrated miner, smelter and refiner of copper in the United States. ASARCO’s domestic mines annually produce approximately 350 – 400 million pounds of copper. Significant copper mines include the Mission, Silver Bell and the Ray open-pit mines, all three in Arizona.

We had no idea "open pit" mining looked like this.  No wonder there is such a huge pile of tailing.  They are truly grinding up the mountain.

The paler whitish dots are explosives ready to be set off.  The tiny vehicles below are actually super huge.  Close up pictures  later    

Our tour bus leaves the pit to take us into the actual copper smelting factory.

All the rock that has been blasted out is hauled here and delivered by conveyor belts

This slurry is mixed with pine oil.  Thankfully it didn't smell that bad.

Look closely to see the bubbles.  The copper separates on the bubbles

This is a poster that shows how copper is separated from the ore.

Now for the giant trucks

Can you imagine what an underground mine would look like?  The pit is bad enough, but underground mining must have been awful for the workers 

We saw no critters.  We recommend touring early in February before the hibernating scary things wake up.

Wild horses roam these mining hills.  There was a group of about 8 by the side of the road.  This was the only shot I got from the tour bus.  

This is a picture of the massive "ASARCO artificial tailing terraced mountain"taken from Madera Canyon, twenty minutes away from Green Valley.  It looks like there is a lake inside but there is only about 3 inches of water there which our tour guide said is used to control dust.  Notice the real mountain chain behind.  Imagine the mountains that have been ground away. It's that old conundrum, valuable copper obtained at the price of a forever destroyed landscape.  Sigh....