Federal Judges halt Oak Flat land transfer
A Three Judge Panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals temporarily halted the Oak Flat land exchange today. Without today’s injunction, the public lands about 40 miles east of Phoenix would have been handed over to a private mining company August 19th. Today the 9th...
Judge blocks transfer of Oak Flat to Resolution Copper
A FEDERAL JUDGE IN ARIZONA TEMPORARILY HALTED THE OAK FLAT LAND EXCHANGE TODAY WHILE TWO LAWSUITS CHALLENGING THE EXCHANGE PROCEED.
Without today’s injunction, the public lands about 40 miles east of Phoenix would have been handed over to a private mining company as early as June 16.
Regarding today’s court ruling, Curt Shannon, Interim Director of the Arizona Mining Reform Coalition said, “How is this mine good for the United States? The profits will all go to the two foreign corporations that own it, the copper will be shipped to China, and the mine will use a huge amount of water that Arizona simply doesn’t have to spare,”
Recent Court Ruling does not Advance Resolution Copper Proposed Mine
Initial press on the ruling made it seem that the court ruling clears the way for the Resolution Copper mine proposal which would destroy Oak Flat, a sacred site and a recreational and ecological haven on public land within the Tonto National Forest.
However, the ruling does no such thing. As Chairman of the San Carlos Apache Tribe, Terry Rambler said in recent press statement, “The culturally and environmentally devastating Resolution project is no closer to construction today than it was before the appeals court ruling.”
Notice of Intent to Sue EPA Over Queen Creek Pollution
“Instead of doing its job to protect Queen Creek, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality is allowing Resolution Copper Company to add more pollutants to an already polluted stream,” said Roger Featherstone, director of the Arizona Mining Reform Coalition. “It is time for EPA to step in to protect a creek that is valued by so many Arizonans.”
Press Statement on Ongoing Legal Efforts to Protect Oak Flat
the 9th Circuit Court ruling does not advance the proposed Resolution Copper mine in the slightest. Until the US Forest Service completes and releases a new Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS), the land transfer cannot happen,” said Roger Featherstone, Arizona Mining Reform Coalition Director. “It is unfortunate that the 9th Circuit court ruled as it did and we feel that the Apache Stronghold has a strong chance to prevail should the Supreme Court hear their case.”
Court victory on Rosemont mine!
Victory for the Santa Rita Mountains! This morning, the 9th circuit court upheld Judge Soto’s ruling that the US Forest Service was wrong in approving the Rosemont mine. “Today’s ruling affirmed both natural and US law,” said Roger Featherstone, director of the...
New Videos About Impacts from Proposed Resolution Copper Mine
The Sierra Club, one of our member organizations, released a short film addressing the proposed toxic tailings dump that is part of Resolution Copper’s proposed copper mine that would devastate thousands of acres of precious Arizona land. This is part three of...
Injunction Sought to Block Oak Flat Land Trade for Massive Arizona Copper Mine
Tribal and conservation groups asked a federal judge today to block a land trade that would hand over thousands of acres in the Tonto National Forest in central Arizona to multinational mining company Rio Tinto for the massive Resolution Copper mine. The Oak Flat area, considered sacred by Apache and other Native people, would be destroyed by the mine.