Welcome to Your Community Information Resource for the Copper Flat Project. Community engagement is not a one-time effort — it is our lasting commitment to remain directly connected to the people of Sierra County.
This website built to give you clear, straightforward information about how the project is planned, how it is regulated, how water and environmental resources are protected, and how the project can create local opportunity.
— Stephen Crosby, Copper Flat Project Manager
We want our communities where we live, work, and raise our families to thrive. That’s why we’re committed to being good neighbors — protecting the land, respecting our water, and supporting local economic opportunity in a responsible way.
Here, you’ll find everything in one place:
Notices about public meetings and open-house sessions
A direct way to ask questions and receive answers
Regular updates on project progress
FAQs, meeting summaries, and public responses
Planned and designed to be a long-term employer, reliable community partner, the Copper Flat Project is focused on producing positive impact for the people and environment of the region.
Approximately 60% of the Copper Flat Project workforce will come from the communities of Southern New Mexico.
By prioritizing environmental stewardship, transparency, health and safety, this modern copper operation is committed to being a good neighbor and valued member of the community.
Protecting the environment with new technologies to prioritize water conservation and long term stability is central to project design. Modern engineering helps reduce water usage by approximately 70 to 90% – and water is recycled to minimize long-term demand.
Safety isn’t a slogan — it’s a system embedded in how the site is planned, operated, and monitored. This project is designed around disciplined processes, well trained professionals, clearly defined safety procedures, and continuous management oversight.
The community deserves a clear understanding of how the Copper Flat Project is planned, designed and regulated. Each defined phase is managed with attention to every detail to ensure safety and compliance is strictly enforced and verified during every step.
We understand that water is sacred in the Southwest, and protecting it is our top priority. The mine will operate under strict federal and state environmental standards, including continuous monitoring of groundwater, surface water, and air quality. We will publish monitoring results publicly and work with independent environmental experts and tribal and community representatives to ensure full transparency. If an issue arises, we will communicate it immediately and take swift corrective action.
Dry stack tailings technology will reduce Copper Flat’s water usage up to 90%. That’s enough water to supply every household in Sierra County with 3X the amount used every year.
Our goal is to hire locally first. We are committed to partnering with local schools, community colleges, and workforce programs to ensure residents of Sierra, Grant, Hidalgo, and Luna counties have the skills and certifications needed to qualify for positions at every level — from entry-level trades to engineering and management roles. We will report annually on the percentage of our workforce that comes from the surrounding communities.
Permitting and environmental review are currently underway, and we anticipate construction beginning in 2027, with production starting approximately in 2029. The mine is projected to provide long-term economic stability rather than a short-term boom-and-bust cycle. We will maintain an up-to-date project timeline on this website so the community always knows where things stand.
We believe the people who live here deserve a real seat at the table — not just a comment box. We will hold regular open community meetings in accessible locations, establish a Community Advisory Board made up of local residents, tribal representatives, ranchers, and business owners, and maintain an open-door policy with our community liaison. You can also submit questions or concerns directly through this website at any time, and we commit to responding within 10 business days.
The mine will generate significant local and state tax revenue that directly supports schools, roads, emergency services, and public infrastructure. We are also committed to establishing a Community Investment Fund to support local nonprofits, scholarships, small businesses, and cultural programs. We see ourselves as a long-term neighbor, and we intend to invest in this community’s future — both during operations and through a dedicated reclamation and transition fund when mining concludes.
Use the contact form on any page. Questions are routed to the appropriate team member and addressed in future updates when helpful.
The Copper Flat Project in Sierra County, New Mexico, recently hosted an initial media tour led by Stephen Crosby, Senior Vice President of Development and project site manager. The tour served as a firsthand look at the site and the progress being made as the project advances through permitting and planning stages.
The Copper Flat Project, a proposed mining initiative in Sierra County, New Mexico, is projected to bring a significant boost to the local economy — particularly through job creation in both the construction and long term operation phases.
At the heart of the ambitious Copper Flat Project in Sierra County, New Mexico, stands a seasoned leader with decades of mining expertise: Stephen Crosby. As the Senior Vice President of Development, effectively the site manager driving this major copper molybdenum gold silver project.
