Arizona Groups’ Dismissed Challenge of Mine Land Transfer Upheld

Environmental and tribal groups lost their bid on Friday to prevent the Trump administration from transferring a sacred tribal site in Arizona to copper mining company Resolution Copper.

“Because Plaintiffs’ claims are unlikely to succeed on the merits, we affirm the district court’s denial of Plaintiffs’ request for a preliminary injunction against the land exchange,” Judge Milan D. Smith Jr. wrote for the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

There have been several lawsuits throughout the years seeking to stop Resolution Copper, a joint venture owned by Rio Tinto and BHP, from acquiring public land that holds ...