Trump Arizona Copper Mine Apache Law Victory
Here’s a breakdown of the key information from the article, organized for clarity:
The Issue: Oak Flat and the Resolution Copper Mine
What’s happening: A large copper mine (Resolution Copper) is planned for Oak Flat, Arizona, a site sacred to the San carlos Apache Tribe and used for recreation (rock climbing, etc.). Land Transfer: The U.S. Forest Service had been moving towards transferring the land to Resolution Copper.
Opposition: The mine faces strong opposition from the San Carlos Apache tribe, environmental groups (Arizona Mining Reform Coalition), and others. They argue it will damage sacred lands,the habitat,and perhaps benefit foreign interests.
Recent developments (as of the article’s publication)
Initial Setback for Opponents: A district judge ruled in favor of the land transfer.
9th Circuit Court of Appeals Intervention: The 9th circuit Court of Appeals temporarily halted the land transfer. This happened after appeals from the opposing groups.
Legal Argument: A key argument is that the federal government skipped a necessary step in the environmental review process.
Expedited review: The 9th Circuit is expediting the case, with briefs due by October 14th. the court states it’s not taking a position on the merits of the arguments yet.
Key Players & Their Positions
San Carlos Apache Tribe (Chairman Rambler & Wendsler Nosie): Strongly opposes the mine, viewing it as a violation of their religious freedom and a giveaway of American resources to foreign entities. They claim Trump was misinformed about the situation.
Arizona Mining Reform Coalition: Also opposing the mine through legal challenges. Donald Trump: Publicly supported the mine, criticizing the opposition and suggesting they were un-american. The Tribe accuses him of siding with foreign interests. Resolution Copper (BHP & Rio Tinto): The mining company seeking to develop the Oak Flat site. The Tribe alleges these are foreign companies with ties to China that will export the copper.
U.S. Forest Service: Had been proceeding with the environmental review and land transfer process.
Core Concerns Raised by opponents
Sacred Land: Oak Flat is a culturally and religiously meaningful site for the Apache.
Environmental Impact: Concerns about the mine’s impact on the environment.
* Foreign Control: The belief that foreign companies (BHP and Rio Tinto) will profit from American resources, potentially exporting the copper to China.