Appeals court halts copper mine land swap in Arizona

A federal appeals court has temporarily blocked the transfer of Oak Flat, an Arizona site slated for copper mining, to Resolution Copper, a subsidiary of Rio Tinto and BHP, according to The Associated Press. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued the injunction late Monday, halting the land exchange that was scheduled for Tuesday. The San Carlos Apache Tribe, Apache Stronghold and other plaintiffs argued the U.S. Forest Service did not fully review environmental risks, including dam breaches and pipeline failures.

Tribal leaders said Oak Flat, or Chí’chil Biłdagoteel, has been used for ceremonies and for gathering traditional plants for generations. Resolution Copper said the project underwent extensive federal review and would create thousands of jobs and generate $1 billion a year for Arizona’s economy.