Ninth Circuit Clears Path for Resolution Copper Mine

A federal appeals court has cleared the way for the Resolution Copper project to move forward after rejecting a request to reconsider the case.

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals denied a petition to rehear the case, which allows the land exchange tied to the project to proceed. This decision comes after a three-judge panel earlier this year declined to block the exchange.

The Resolution Copper mine is proposed for eastern Arizona and would develop one of the largest untapped copper deposits in the country. The company estimates that the project could supply up to 25% of U.S. copper demand and support about 3,700 direct and indirect jobs at full production, generating up to $61 billion in economic value for Arizona over its operating life.

Congress authorized the land exchange needed for the project, which involves federal land in the Tonto National Forest. Opponents have challenged the exchange on environmental and religious-freedom grounds, including concerns over Oak Flat, a site sacred to the Western Apache.