The Trump administration gave notice Thursday that it’s advancing Arizona’s Resolution Copper mine, a divisive project that’s opposed by members of Native American tribes who are asking the Supreme Court to intervene.
The Forest Service issued a public notice that it will release within 60 days a final environmental impact statement and draft record of decision for a land swap near the town of Superior that’s the key to transferring 2,422 acres of federal land to Resolution Copper, the company planning to build the underground mine.
But the service also acknowledged the project is embroiled in legal fights, including a petition to the Supreme Court, which could affect how quickly the agency moves forward.
Some members of the San Carlos Apache Tribe have warned the project will decimate land they consider sacred, known as Oak Flat, or Chí’chil Biłdagoteel in Apache, and are asking the Supreme Court to block the mine.
Resolution Copper, a joint venture of Anglo-Australian firms Rio Tinto and BHP, counters that the mine has undergone a decade of review and consultation with local communities and tribes.
The Trump administration’s announcement marks a sharp departure from the Biden era.
In 2019, the first Trump administration issued a final environmental analysis for the mine just a few days before leaving office. The Biden administration pulled the document to conduct deeper tribal consultations and repeatedly said there was no firm timeline for completing the work.
