State Rep. Walter Blackman, R-Apache Junction, sent a letter to the federal government last week backing a project that could create tens of thousands of jobs in Arizona.
Blackman’s letter expressed his support for the Resolution Copper project’s Final Environmental Impact Statement, which is trying to build an underground copper mine in Superior.
The U.S. Forest Service finished the impact statement in June. The U.S. Department of Agriculture described the statement’s documents as helping advance President Donald Trump’s goal of domestic mineral production.
Blackman called the Resolution Copper project a “rare opportunity to strengthen Arizona’s economy.” He added that this project will create “high-wage jobs, critical infrastructure investments and lasting economic support for local businesses.”
According to Blackman’s letter, thousands of construction jobs will be created for this project.
Furthermore, this project will create many mining jobs. The letter states Arizona’s average salary for miners is around $100,000. Blackman described these mining jobs as ones that “can transform people’s lives.”
The Resolution Cooper project is also expected to add tens of millions of dollars in tax revenue for state and local governments, the letter states. This tax revenue would go towards investing in public roads and essential services.
