A federal judge issued an injunction Friday further delaying the relocation of Oak Flat, Arizona’s Indigenous religious location, to the multinational corporation, which makes it one of the largest. copper Mines around the world.
More than a week ago, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear the appeal in the case and admitted that a lower court order approved the transfer. A Phoenix District Court Judge sought a 60-day delay to allow Oak Flat supporters to review the upcoming U.S. Forest Service environmental impact statement.
The delayed movement came from the San Carlos Apache tribe Organizational Union The Center for Biological Diversity, the local Sierra Club branch, and the Arizona Interstate Association.
The struggle for the future of Oak Flat has been going on for ten years. The final environmental review was announced during the first Trump administration, but stopped during the Biden administration. Back in April, the current Trump administration said it would reissue the environmental review, which is expected for June 16th.
This review is required for land resolution copper, Rio Tinto and the relocation of multinational mining companies to the project from BHP.
I had problems accessing this review before publication. According to Marc Fink, a lawyer at the Center for Biodiversity, it is customary to see such documents in legal proceedings.
That wasn’t the case with Oak Flats.
“In my 30 years, I’ve never seen this happen,” he said.
Review withholding is seen as a sign that observers want the Trump administration to quickly track the mines. This sits directly on a sacred place and mines 1,000 feet into the earth.
A giant copper mine that can test the limits of religious freedom
The land in question is about 40 miles east of Phoenix in the Tonto National Forest. Apache considers it their land based on it Convention of 1852 It was signed several years ago between the country and the US government as a result of the Mexican-American War.
As Trump’s tariffs show, in the current trade war between the US and China, Oak Flat supporters are stumped over conflicting national security interests. In a press release According to the San Carlos Apache tribe, Chairman Terry Rambler, “The resolution of copper poses a major threat to US national security given its significant economic impact on China’s BHP and Rio Tinto.”
The US has only two copper smelters, Utah and Arizona. Both have total capacity. Critics speculate that copper at resolution is likely to send raw materials to China, where perhaps the world’s largest copper refinery is located.
Whether or not profitable rates are accepted for copper resolution is also a question for mining companies. A feasibility study to examine whether costs expand for net profit profits has not yet been conducted according to Resolution copper And it can take years. However, if a company has identified spending as too expensive, it is unlikely that it will revert its title to Apache Homeland under the Forest Service.
The tribal organization’s Apache base also filed another injunction in the same Arizona court. It was their case, and the Supreme Court refused to hear.
Luke Goodrich, vice president of Beckett, the Institute for Religious Rights Law, which represents Apache’s base, said the fight was not over.
“Apaches will never stop defending their oak flats,” he said. “And we are continuing to push every possible opportunity with the courts, Congress and the president to ensure that this tragic destruction never happens.”
Oak Flats are sacred to the West Apache. The Trump administration intends to approve plans to destroy it.
