The ongoing conflict between the San Carlos Apache tribe and Resolution Copper has taken a new turn as the tribe seeks intervention from the U.S. Supreme Court, a move prompted by what they believe was a grave error on the part of the Arizona Supreme Court. In June, the state court ruled that the mining company could discharge treated wastewater into Queen Creek, but the tribe is disputing the application of environmental regulations.
Specifically, the San Carlos Apache argues that since the proposed mine has not yet begun to extract copper, it should be subject to the current, more stringent provisions of the federal Clean Water Act, this according to a report by AZPM. The crux of the tribal contention is the sanctity of Oak Flat, an area earmarked for mining that they hold sacred. The tribe has been opposing the mine for multiple years now, raising concerns about the potential devastation of what they consider hallowed ground.
In a separate but related legal maneuver, Apache Stronghold, a group within the tribe, has filed a petition urging the court to block the federal government from transferring the Oak Flat land to Resolution Copper. Grounding their plea in the protections afforded by the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, they seek to prevent what they foresee as an irreversible desecration of their spiritual heritage.
