Judge temporarily blocks public land sale near Anaconda mine site
Federal judge pauses sale of more than 2,000 acres while legal challenge moves forward
A federal judge has temporarily blocked the sale of 2,062 acres of public land near the former Anaconda Copper Mine in Lyon County, Nevada, while a lawsuit challenging the sale proceeds, according to reporting from the Nevada Current. U.S. District Judge Miranda Du ruled the case raises serious questions about whether the Bureau of Land Management complied with federal land disposal requirements and adequately considered the potential impacts of future mining before approving the sale to Atlantic Richfield Company.
The court found that selling the land before the case resolves could cause irreparable harm by limiting public access, according to the Nevada Current reporting. Environmental groups filed the lawsuit after the Bureau of Land Management approved the sale in April. Joshua Dini, executive director of Prayer Horse Inc. and a member of the Walker River Paiute Tribe, said the ruling preserves his ability to remain connected to his homelands while the case moves through the courts.
- 1.Jeniffer Solis. Judge hits the brakes on land sale near polluted Anaconda site. Nevada Current.
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