Tribal and environmental concerns stand in the way of obtaining 25% of US copper

Arizona officials claim the land that is planned for use by the Resolution Copper mine contains resources that are crucial for transitioning the U.S. energy sector to renewables. However, Native American tribes and environmentalists are raising concerns over the project’s potential impacts.

Indigenous groups assert that the proposed mining site lies on sacred ground that should remain undisturbed. Meanwhile, environmental advocates warn of a potential ecological “disaster” if mining plans proceed. The project has been in development for about 20 years, with over $2 billion invested, yet no copper has been extracted to date.

Developers say once operational, the mine could eventually support about a quarter of the nation’s copper demand. The value of this metal is expected to increase by over 75% next year alone, given its essential role in electric vehicles, renewable energy infrastructure, and AI-supporting data centers. Extracting this copper will require creating a two-mile-wide crater, deep enough to hold the Eiffel Tower.

“Put simply – we need copper,” Resolution Copper said in a statement. “With estimates for global copper demand from wind, solar, electric vehicles and battery applications expected to increase by 600%-900% by 2030, it is critical that projects like Resolution Copper are approved to bolster the United States’ copper supply.”

The United States Department of Agriculture’s Environmental Impact Statement highlights several potential consequences of this plan. Emissions from mining operations could affect air quality, and seepage from storage facilities might impact local water quality. Additionally, the presence of radioactive, toxic and hazardous materials poses risks to both environmental and human health.

Local Native American tribal leaders view the mining project as a “desecration” of their sacred lands, and have joined forces with environmentalists to take legal action against Resolution Copper, planning to escalate their fight to the Supreme Court.

“Our Apache war isn’t over, because no longer are they killing us and slaughtering our people and putting us in prisons, they’re gonna take our religion away,” said Naelyn Pike, a Chiricahua Apache activist. “And that’s another act of genocide, because we’re not Apache people if we don’t have no religion.”

Resolution Copper has launched a Native American affairs division to address Indigenous concerns and has spent an estimated $10 million on community assistance for the town of Superior, which surrounds the planned mine. This support is nearly triple the town’s annual revenue, and additional funds have been pledged to develop facilities aimed at boosting Superior’s tourism industry so the community’s economy is not solely reliant on copper mining.

“There’s a lot of misconceptions about mining,” said Leslie Burnette, a San Carlos Apache tribal member and senior advisor of Native American affairs at Resolution Copper. “The main thing that we try to do is let them know what the Resolution Copper project is about. We just want to make them comfortable about our project. I want our reservation to know that Resolution Copper respects and values are traditions. They’re here to support and grow with us.”

Mila Besich-Lira, Superior’s mayor, suggests that final approval for the mine could take another 10 to 20 years but believes it being granted is ultimately inevitable. She described the town’s relationship with the mine as an “arranged marriage” where both entities must coexist, adding that “copper mining isn’t going anywhere.”