Copper Mining in Arizona

Arizona has a long history of mining. Miners started out by looking for silver and gold, and they found some, but the real treasure was long ignored. Not until the railroads started coming through was it feasible to mine and process copper.

In Arizona, copper mining has been a major industry since the 19th century. In 2007, Arizona was the leading copper-producing state in the country, producing 750 thousand metric tons of copper, valued at $5.54 billion. Arizona’s copper production was 60% of the total for the United States. Copper mining also produces gold and silver as byproducts. Byproduct molybdenum from copper mining makes Arizona the nation’s second-largest producer of that metal. Although copper mineralization was found by the earliest Spanish explorers of Arizona, the territory was remote, and copper could seldom be profitably mined and shipped. Early Spanish, Mexican, and American prospectors searched for gold and silver and ignored copper. It was not until the completion of the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1876 that copper became broadly economic to mine and ship to market.

All copper mining was done by underground methods until the early 20th century. After the Bingham Canyon mine in Utah successfully mined a large low-grade copper deposit from a large open pit, the same technique was applied to Arizona’s porphyry copper deposits. Arizona’s first open pit copper mine opened at Ajo in 1917.

Arizona Mining Reform Coalition works in Arizona to improve state and federal laws, rules, and regulations governing hard rock mining to protect communities and the environment. AMRC works to hold mining operations to the highest environmental and social standards to provide for the long term environmental, cultural, and economic health of Arizona. Members of the Coalition include: the Center for Biological Diversity, Concerned Citizens and Retired Miners Coalition, Concerned Climbers of Arizona, Courtland Ghost Town, Dragoon Conservation Alliance, Earthworks, Environment Arizona, Groundwater Awareness League, Maricopa Audubon Society, Save the Scenic Santa Ritas, Grand Canyon Chapter of the Sierra Club, Sky Island Alliance, Tucson Audubon Society, Arizona Trail Association, and the Valley Unitarian Universalist Congregation.

Researchers at Arizona’s three universities will explore ways to repurpose billions of tons of copper mine tailings under a $3.6 million grant approved by the Arizona Board of Regents.

Led by a University of Arizona scientist, researchers plan to assess the metal content from the mining waste rock in search of critical elements such as lithium, which are used in everything from cell phones to electric vehicles and pacemakers.

Copper is a cornerstone of Arizona’s history and economy. Since 1910, the state has been the nation’s leading producer of copper. Today, 68% of all the copper produced in the U.S. comes from Arizona. The copper star at the Arizona flag center highlights the industry’s importance to the Grand Canyon state.