The mining company says it has been addressing concerns about the project. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the Forest Service, consulted for months with Native American tribes and others about their concerns. Publication of the environmental analysis will start the clock on the 60-day period for the Forest Service to transfer Oak Flat to Resolution Copper.Īn earlier environmental survey was pulled back while the U.S. The swap was a provision included in a must-pass defense bill to give Resolution Copper 3.75 square miles (9.71 square kilometers) of national forest land for eight other parcels the company owns elsewhere in Arizona. “The destruction this mine would cause far outweighs its benefits.” “If allowed to proceed, Resolution Copper would desecrate Oak Flat’s tribal cultural and religious heritage sites, deplete already scarce water resources in Arizona, adversely impact imperiled species, and create a crater up to 1,115 feet deep and roughly 1.8 miles across,” Grijalva wrote. He urged Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack this week to continue withholding publication of the environmental review. Grijalva, a Democrat who represents southern Arizona, has introduced legislation aimed at halting the project. Representatives of the Resolution Copper mining company said they were unaware of the meeting or any plans by the agency. Muehlhof also said consultation with tribal members is ongoing, including a planned April 25 meeting.
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