On December 1, 2021, a public hearing was held in Mackay, ID, wherein Phoenix Copper Limited (PCL) presented their plans to mine copper in the mountains near Mackay.  As part of this plan they intend to use Main Street and the residential road of Smelter Avenue as the primary access to their new mining operation over the course of the next 10+ years. PCL reported an estimated 2-4 mining trucks will be traveling both Main Street and Smelter Avenue daily, along with the 140 employees they expect to hire. If PCL is allowed to move forward with this plan, the townspeople feel the city as a whole will be negatively impacted.

Main Street is home to almost all of the essential services for the town of around 500 residents, as well as many part-time home owners, who currently enjoy the absence of heavy traffic and noise. Smelter Avenue is a one lane, residential road where kids enter the creek, families walk and bike for exercise, ATV’s access the trails on the Mackay Mine Hill, and cattle are transported. The 24-hour-a-day presence of the mine trucks, and various other employee vehicles, will completely alter the heart of this lovely town. Please sign this petition to prohibit Phoenix Copper Limited from using Main Street and Smelter Avenue. Mackay currently offers a small town feel and an escape from the dangers and noise of traffic and industry. If PCL is allowed to move forward with this plan they will rob the community of the peace, safety, and charm that Mackay is so widely known for. 

Residents of Mackay, and other concerned parties, respectfully request that Phoenix Copper Limited explore different options and provide a plan for an alternate route to and from their mining operation. This would significantly reduce the negative social, cultural, and environmental impact the mining operation will have on the community.