Resolution Copper says its proposed underground copper mine has the potential to supply nearly 25 per cent of US copper demand for 40 years.
But the project is being fought by the San Carlos Apache tribe, which fears the mine will impact sacred and actively utilised religious land at Oak Flat, known as Chi’chil Bildagoteel.
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The objections from the Native American groups come as Rio Tinto and the wider Australian mining sector are facing heightened scrutiny over their treatment of First Nations people following Rio’s destruction of two 46,000-year-old Aboriginal rock shelters in Western Australia’s Pilbara last year.
The saga led to the departure of former Rio Tinto CEO Jean-Sebastien Jacques, with its new CEO Jakob Stausholm vowing that restoring trust and rebuilding relationships with traditional owners would be one of his top priorities.
The San Carlos Apache Tribe, which has 17,000 members, is one of 11 Native American tribes with land within or near the land exchange, including the Oak Flat camp ground, Apache Leap,
After receiving “significant input” from stakeholders and the wider public, the US Department of Agriculture said it had directed the Forest Service to withdraw the earlier decision and conduct a “thorough review”.
A joint venture between Rio Tinto and BHP is proposing one of the largest copper projects in the US.Credit:AP
“The [department] has concluded that additional time is necessary to fully understand concerns raised by Tribes and the public and the project’s impacts to these important resources and ensure the agency’s compliance with federal law,” it said.
Under the US National Environmental Protection Act, consultations with Native American groups to date concerning the area’s historical, cultural and religious significance have been the responsibility of the US Forest Service, not Resolution Copper.
