European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - July 27, 1977, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Iti Sqq citizens of new Mexico town whose main Street looks much As it did tn1880s fear Copper mining venture could Drain limited water that Doest want to dry up and go away Utah Cou Uoo new Mexico by John Crewdson new York times should have vanished Long the Way of other ramshackle mining Camps thrown up during the Boom Yean Mohe 1880s Only to be led behind As hulks with boarded windows and creaking doors when the richest of the lodes ran but through a series of Seren Dpi Cerr Ulos a film company looking for an authentic 19th Century Western town financed a face lifting of its main for and a few years later it was discovered by Small band of artists and musicians seek one of them put a quiet place where people can live and leave each other enough to the newest flock of residents 11 seemed like a place where they could Palm and weave and sculpt and sing untroubled by the world on the other Side of toe and it looked As though the town that refused to would live to celebrate its 100th birthday three Yean hence in in accustomed Bat that was before the arrival of cer Siuw newest the giant Occidental Petroleum company of los whose mining Occidental had developed an interest in seven Ollow Grade Copper deposits just outside of no of paid much attention at that part of North pm new Mexico is As Rich in minerals As it is perpetually snort of water and the land around Cerrillos is dotted with hundreds of worked out shafts with names like cock of the Blind open nick0 time and sleeping it was just another mining company with Hopes of making a and a modest one at in country where such Hopes have been a of life for As Long As anyone can then the residents of Cerrillos discovered How the company intended to mine its the process they known As Calls for the fracturing of the Reck around the Copper deposits with a sex then pumping into the fractures a solution of sul uric acid and millions of Gallons of the one thing that Cerrillos is not prepared to share with outside we have enough Deirdre a 31yearold Connecticut said the of tits but its just theres no extra Uke most of Nevy Cerrillos relies for its water on underground called and its aquifer can meet the needs of its 350 or so conservation conscious most of whom try to limit their consumption to a meager 10 Gallons a but the aquifers in Southern Santa be county have never been More than a barely adequate source of and these they Are running lower than new Mexico in bad shape water Sieve the stale were a part of the Western Occidental is preparing a Pilot mining project thai will test commercial feasibility of a full scale Copper leaching the Pilot project will require up wards of three million Gallons of More than twice but of the concerned a Juwa of put Down to near guitars and looms and paint brushes and begin puffing together and pan ing out information Codsi ill and its Wing their questions began to Echo from High Jerry Apodaca asked Continental to Slop work on the project until a committee appointed by him could Standf us a Bill that would regulate mining was introduced in the state and the Santa be county commissioners adopted a Restry Tiye blasting v Thesla left cultural properties review committee decided to look into the effects of Occidental operations on historical aites and  ruins in the and two other stale agencies agreed to hold hearings of the it is these last two that most worry Deirdre haal ngg and her for it is possible that the aquifer from which Occidental will draw its water is connected to the feet that feeds Hie Cerril lao knows for Hail been some Dis Cussion of where our aquifer begins and Hamlin go that area right there is geologically very Complex and there is a difference of opinion As to what Wui really july 1977 Occidental according to a spokesman its los Angeles Headquarters is that the proposed blasting and teaching operations should have no effect whatsoever on any surrounding the spokesman said that conclusion was based on the technical data in the citizens of Cerrillos Are particularly annoyed by what they As Occidental efforts to gloss concerns with vague and As evidence of bad Faith they Point to an article about the Cerrillos project in a recent Issue of the company inhouse the local the article was reluctant at first to allow a Copper mining project in the but after Roxy Man the a bestowed nickname held open meetings and gave thorough the operation has been Well one of the tour or five Cerrillos residents no has not joined with the concerned if Samuel a reared army brigadier Lylei on the Edge town la a Tutu uni of Redwood and Vermont late 1014 be dubbed the crossed Saber As just returned from Mission with the cer Rillona Volunteer fire settled Down in his opulent living he Nisi Maince that he was land owner interested in the environment just like anyone but in also a prowl that when anybody owns nun Ora rights they have the right to whose bearing has not changed much since the Days when he commanded the army Garrison in West acknowledged that there was a danger that Occidental might fracture the rather delicate ukes which separate the thu jeers from which we in mils part of the country take our but be Able that Occidental lakes All reason no one has the right a sep and i think Occidental minerals ass taked pre caution to prefect those of in who Algu be As far As 1 Iceni no Way to except to do not Many of the other residents seem willing to Lake that and their determination to see the Bailie through is reflected in nothing so much m a bumper Slicker they had printed just the other Day old ghost never Uliey fight the stars and stripes Page 13