A federal appeals court has temporarily blocked a land transfer for a major Arizona copper mine, prompting a rebuke from President Donald Trump.
On Aug. 18, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued a temporary administrative injunction to halt a congressionally mandated land exchange that would have given control of a large tract of land in Tonto National Forest in Arizona to international mining giants Rio Tinto and BHP.
The court’s order stated that it was taking no position on the merits of the case but was acting to “preserve the status quo” as it expedites a review of the legal challenge brought by the San Carlos Apache Tribe and other plaintiffs.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump criticized the delay, saying the project was needed to create 3,800 jobs and secure a vital resource.
“It is so sad that Radical Left Activists can do this, and affect the lives of so many people. Those that fought it are Anti-American, and representing other Copper competitive Countries.”
The ruling came shortly after Trump met with the CEOs of the two companies at the White House, a meeting that highlighted his administration’s support for the mine.
The United States Forest Service is listed as a defendant alongside Resolution Copper Mining LLC.
The appeals court is scheduled to hear arguments for the case in September.
On July 30, Trump signed an executive order creating a 50 percent tariff on imports of semi-finished copper products and intensive copper derivative products. The same order raised the possibility of further tariffs on imported copper in the future.
In a statement, Resolution Copper, a joint venture between Rio Tinto and BHP, called the injunction a temporary pause so the court can consider “eleventh hour motions” by the San Carlos Apache Tribe and other plaintiffs.
The statement said the proposed mine has the potential to become one of the largest copper mines in the United States, “contributing $1 billion annually to Arizona’s economy and creating thousands of local jobs.”
In a statement he posted on LinkedIn on Aug. 19, BHP CEO Mike Henry thanked the Trump administration for its “strong leadership to reinvigorate mining and processing supply chains in and for America.”
He said the project was a “rip-off” that would allow companies to extract billions in copper while paying “almost no royalties” to the federal government.
Rambler’s post also noted that Rio Tinto’s largest shareholder is a company owned by the Chinese government, and he alleged the copper would be shipped to China. The chairman reiterated the tribe’s primary concerns that the mine “will destroy a sacred area, decimates our environment, [and] threatens our water rights.”
On its website, Resolution Copper listed detailed responses to Rambler’s allegations.
Rio Tinto is a British and Australian mining company traded publicly on multiple global exchanges. BHP is an Australian company publicly traded on that country’s Australian Securities Exchange.
The land transfer for the mining project was originally approved by Congress and signed off on by then-President Barack Obama in 2014. Various tribal interests and environmental groups have fought the transfer for years.
