The justices left in place lower court decisions allowing the transfer of the Tonto National Forest land, known as Oak Flat, to Resolution Copper, which plans to mine what it says is the second-largest known copper deposit in the world.
The Trump administration has said it will push to complete the transfer.
Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote in dissent that it was a “grievous mistake” not to take up the appeal.
“Recognizing Oak Flat’s significance, the government has long protected both the land and the Apaches’ access to it,” Gorsuch wrote, joined by Justice Clarence Thomas. “No more. Now, the government and a mining conglomerate want to turn Oak Flat into a massive hole in the ground.”
What an I missing here... Alito recused himself from this request. And Gorsuch(!) and Thomas(!!!) were part of five justices who dissented to the decision and wanted to hear the case. How did 3 justices manage to dismiss it when 5 justices wanted to hear the case? Its it different from the simple majority when it comes to hearing a case rather than deciding on a case?
There’s a joke about a Navajo man watching the Apollo astronauts do their desert training.
He tells them a phrase in his language to give to anyone they might meet on the moon that roughly translated to “don’t trust these white assholes they’re just here to steal your land.”
Congress approved a land swap in 2014 that would give Resolution Copper 3.75 square miles (9.71 square kilometers) of forest land in return for eight parcels it owns in Arizona.
Feels like an important piece of the story that is buried down near the bottom.
all 19 comments