The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear a Native American group’s case to block a land swap for the Resolution Copper project in Arizona, reported Reuters. The government is now free to start a process that would give Rio Tinto and BHP access to the land.
The justices turned away the appeal by nonprofit Apache Stronghold, which argued that the project would destroy a religiously important site, violating federal protections and an 1852 treaty. The federally owned land, Oak Flat Campground, sits atop a reserve of more than 40 billion pounds of copper.
Justice Samuel Alito did not participate in the decision, while Justices Neil Gorsuch and Clarence Thomas dissented. At least four of the nine justices must agree to hear a case.
Two other legal challenges are proceeding, noted the news agency, one by the San Carlos Apache tribe and one by the Center for Biological Diversity, which opposes the mine on environmental grounds.
Resolution Copper is a joint venture owned by Rio Tinto (55%) and BHP (45%).
Source: Reuters