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TUCSON - The National Forest Service released its draft environmental impact statement Thursday for the Rosemont Copper Mine project.

The report points to the concerns about ground disturbance, air quality standards and groundwater availability and quality. It also highlights potential impacts with plant and animal populations, habitats and wildlife movement. The impact statement notes that increased light could interfere with local astronomy research.

Robert Medler from the Tucson Chamber of Commerce says Rosemont will provide much-needed jobs to Pima County.

"You're looking at 465 direct jobs from Rosemont, another 1600 indirect, the truckers, the haulers, some of the other companies that would be used by Rosemont and you have county government saying we don't want those jobs in this economy," Medler says.

But Richard Elias, one of the Pima County Board of Supervisors, says the county is not anti-business, but watching out for the well-being of the general public: "I think they understand that they need jobs and they need to work but we want good jobs that bring clean, healthy jobs to us all that protect our environment."

Elias said he fears what will happen to the air and water quality, "If people who run Augusta Resource Corporation up there in Canada think that the Pima County Board of Supervisors is going to be a rubber stamp for their environmental degradation, I think they are sadly mistaken."

In the meantime, Medler says Augusta is investing time and energy in the project and following all the guidelines, "It has a $9 billion impact over the life of the mine. I mean that's huge. It's like having a super bowl every year."

There are six public meetings scheduled during the next three months to discuss the Rosemont Project.

Click here for more information on leaving public comments regarding the proposed copper mine.