A Rio Tinto executive said U.S. president-elect Donald Trump’s new administration should focus on speeding up the permitting process for its stalled Resolution copper mine in Arizona, reported Reuters. The mine could supply more than one-quarter of the country’s domestic copper needs.
The new Trump administration would be able to either approve or block the proposed underground operation.
The news agency noted that the mine, which Rio Tinto is developing alongside partner BHP, is currently facing opposition from Indigenous people. In a final bid to halt the mine’s construction, the Apache Stronghold, a nonprofit group composed of the San Carlos Apache tribe and conservationists, formally asked the Supreme Court in September to review its case after the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals refused. The group said the mine would destroy a sacred site.
A decision by the high court could come as soon as late December or early January 2025.
Sources: Reuters and The Arizona Republic