On March 21, the Apache Stronghold’s case against the proposed Resolution Copper mine was reopened. The battle is over a proposed copper mine in Oak Flat, just southeast of metro Phoenix.
The land sits on top of one of the world’s largest undeveloped copper reserves in the world. The mine, if allowed to go forward, would produce an estimated 40 billion pounds of copper over the next four decades. This is according to Rio Tinto, a global mining corporation of which Resolution Copper is a subsidiary.
But the land is sacred to the San Carlos Apache tribe. Tribal members say that Oak Flat is a physical cornerstone of their religious beliefs.
In this episode of The Gaggle, hosts Ron Hansen and Mary Jo Pitzl sit down with indigenous affairs and environmental reporter Debra Krol to discuss the fate of Oak Flat and Resolution Copper, and how this could end up being one of the biggest religious cases in recent decades.
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The Gaggle: An Arizona politics podcast