Overview:

SWCA, under contract to Phelps Dodge Safford, Inc., prepared an environmental impact statement (EIS) and a Mining Plan of Operations (MPO) for a proposed land exchange between the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Phelps Dodge. The exchange, which had been in progress for more than 10 years, involved the transfer of nearly 4,000 acres of environmentally sensitive land from Phelps Dodge to the BLM. In return, the BLM transferred more than 16,000 acres of land to the mining company for the development of two open pit copper mines.

The final EIS resulted in the identification and preservation of dozens of properties that contain rare and important natural and cultural resources. In appreciation of our service, Phelps Dodge granted SWCA an award. During the award ceremony, Phelps Dodge's John Korolsky said, “We understood the complex nature of this exchange and the accompanying EIS. We decided from the outset that we were going to hire the very best to help us facilitate this process with the Bureau of Land Management. That's why we hired SWCA, and they delivered."