President Donald Trump on Tuesday blasted an appeals court’s decision to temporarily block federal officials from completing a land transfer needed for Rio Tinto and BHP to develop Arizona’s Resolution Copper project.
In a Truth Social post, the president said, “A Copper Mine in Arizona, ‘Resolution,’ was just delayed by a Radical Left Court for two months — 3,800 Jobs are affected, and our Country, quite simply, needs Copper — AND NOW! They are looking to do an Expedited Appeal before the Ninth Circuit, but it is so sad that Radical Left Activists can do this, and affect the lives of so many people.”
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The transfer was scheduled for today. However, a panel of judges with the 9th U.S. District Court of Appeals issued a temporary injunction late Monday in response to late appeals by a Native American tribe and environmentalists.
“Those that fought it are Anti-American, and representing other Copper competitive Countries. We can’t continue to allow this to happen to the U.S.A.! The Appeal will take place, shortly, in the Ninth Circuit,” Trump said.
In a statement to Fox Business, a spokesperson from Resolution Copper said, “We are confident the court will ultimately affirm the district court’s well-reasoned orders explaining in detail why the congressionally directed land exchange satisfies all applicable legal requirements.”
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The plaintiffs have argued that before the land transfer can take place, the government must prepare a review that “covers every aspect of the planned mine and all related infrastructure.” They argue the government failed to consider possible issues such as dam breach, pipeline failure, and if there is a contingency plan for a tailings’ storage area.
The spokesperson for Resolution Copper said, “Over the past 11 years, the Resolution Copper project has undergone a rigorous, independent review under the National Environmental Policy Act, led by the U.S. Forest Service. This review has included extensive consultation with numerous Native American Tribes with ancestral ties to this land, local communities, civil society organizations, and a dozen federal, state, and county agencies. The collaborative process has directly led to major changes to the mining plan to preserve and reduce potential impacts on Tribal, social, environmental, and cultural interests.”
Reuters contributed to this report.
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