Army Corps approves $2 billion Arizona copper mine project The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says it will issue a permit authorizing construction of a $2 billion copper mine in southern Arizona

TUCSON, Ariz. -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says it will issue a permit authorizing construction of a $2 billion copper mine in southern Arizona by a Canadian company.

The Tohono O'odham, Pascua Yaqui and Hopi tribes oppose the project over concerns it would damage ancestral homelands.

An attorney for the tribes has requested further consultation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency before construction starts.

The Arizona Daily Star reports that the Army Corps said Monday it will approve the Rosemont Mine southeast of Tucson.

Hudbay Minerals Inc. of Toronto is expected to build the mine and employ more than 400 people.

Construction has been delayed by a Clean Water Act permit from the EPA that would allow dredging and filling on the property.

The agency says it is dropping further review.

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Information from: Arizona Daily Star, http://www.tucson.com