Thus the native hue of
resolution
Is sicklied o’er with the pale
cast of thought…
Hamlet Act 3, scene 1
This week the New Yorker reviews a book (link
here) which explores various perspectives on a proposed copper mine being
developed on Apache land in Arizona in the US by Resolution Copper, a joint
venture between Rio Tinto (55%) and BHP (45%).
The project will be the largest copper mine in North America,
and if it proceeds, it has the potential to meet 25% of US demand for copper
over the life of the mine. Here
and here
are timelines that recounts the steps leading to the present state of play.
Native American and
environmental interests are mounting a campaign to prevent the mine from
proceeding (link here
and here).
There has been some media coverage in Australia (link here
and here).
The Rio web site has limited information on the project,
though I did find a description of the project at this web page (link here), a hyper
link to the Resolution Copper website (link here) plus a number of media
releases including this January 2020 release (link
here) and this 2019 media release (link
here). The January media release (Resolution Copper project enters next
phase of public consultation) notes inter alia:
The Resolution Copper project
has entered the next phase of public consultation in the ongoing permitting
process, led by the US Forest Service, with the release of its independent
Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
Decisions on whether to invest
fully in developing the project, a proposed underground mine located in Arizona
and one of the world’s most significant undeveloped copper deposits, remain
subject to further permitting processes and a feasibility study that will be
conducted over several years.
Resolution Copper is committed
to continuing its engagement with Native American Tribes and working to seek
consent before any decision on the development of the project, consistent with
the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) Statement on Indigenous
Peoples and Mining…
…Extensive consultation with
11 Native American Tribes and local communities has guided significant changes
to the project design and measures including:
The permanent protection of
the culturally significant natural feature of Apache Leap
A Tribal Monitor program
focused on cultural heritage protection
A partnership to protect and
conserve culturally significant Emory Oak groves across Arizona.
Economic and community
development agreements that can deliver significant long-term benefits for the
Superior community.
The Resolution Copper website is worth visiting not least
to view this statement issued in March 2021 (link here)
which provides information related to the land swap involved in allowing the project
to proceed on public lands. The details of the proposed land exchange can be
viewed here,
while details related to the block known as Apache Leap can be viewed here.
I decided to put up a post on the project as it appears to
have received minimal attention in Australia, and had certainly passed me by.
While there is clearly some way to go before the project goes ahead, there
appears to be huge momentum behind it, not least derived from the $2bn in
capital costs already expended by Resolution Copper, and the strong growth
projections for demand for copper (link
here).
Native American interests do not appear to have a legal
right to veto the project, nor to negotiate financial benefits given that they
do not own the land involved [I freely admit that I don’t have an adequate background
to make this assertion with 100 percent confidence]. It is of interest however
that the Juukun Gorge experience has been prominently reported in the US media coverage
of Oak Flat and thus appears to have strengthened Native American leverage vis
a vis Resolution Copper.
