Oak Flat is sacred to Western Apache. The Trump administration intends to approve a plan to destroy it

Last week, the Trump administration indicated that it intends to agree to transfer lands that will allow the foreign company to remove a site from the holy indigenous population in Arizona, where local tribes and environmentalists fought the project for decades and before federal courts ruled in lawsuits for the project.

Western Apache gathered in OAK Flat, or Chi’chil Biłdagoteel in Apache, because the time is abstract for holy celebrations that cannot be held anywhere else, as tribal beliefs are indispensable to the ground. The tribe believes that the landscapes that are outside the present at the present time, Arizona, is a direct corridor for the creator, as Gan dancers followed in the English language, and a machine for angels. The site allows the Western Bash to connect to their religion, history, culture and environment.

But underground on the Oak Flat site lies one of the biggest non -exploitation in the world copper Deposits. RIO COPPER, a subsidiary of two of the world’s largest mining company, Rio Tinto and BHP, worked for decades to reach the site to take advantage of the so -called “Block Cave Mining”.

The method, used to reach a low -degree ore, undermine the surface of the earth so that it collapses under its own weight to detect copper. At some point, the proposed mine will create an open width at a height of 1.8 miles and a depth of 1000 feet, which is large enough to fit the Eiffel Tower as a large city, according to the environmental review documents of the project.

Three cases against the project are still working on its way through the courts. Apache Stronghold V. UNIDISSTES, decided by a Federal Appeal Court In favor of the mine, it was resume By the plaintiffs for more than a year to the Supreme Court, which has not yet been decided if it should be taken. This issue argues that the destruction of Oak Flat violates the religious freedom of Abash, which is a threat to other religions.

The other two cases are awaiting the Supreme Court’s decision before applying to the federal court system.

Environmentalists, local opponents, and members of the San Carlos Apache tribe disappeared from the administration’s decision to move without a court ruling.

She said in a statement, “The US government has accelerated to abandon our spiritual house before the courts were able to judge – just as it was transferred to the erasing of the indigenous people for generations,” she said in a statement. “This is the same violent pattern that we have seen for centuries. We urge the Supreme Court to protect the spiritual lifestyle and give our sacred position the same protection granted to the holiest churches, mosques, and Jewish temples throughout this country.”

The Trump administration did not respond to the comment request.

Last week’s decision to move forward with copper solution is the latest in the Trump administration’s efforts to enhance the American local mining industry as part of the “energy dominance” agenda.

Indeed, this year, President Donald Trump signed The executive order to simplify the mine permit All over the country and make mineral extraction the highest use of public lands that carry the necessary minerals. All mining projects for copper, uranium, potash, gold, any minerals, element, compound, or material specific by the new chair National Council for energy dominance It is included on demand. One general comment period with regard to the exploration plan for Lithium The mine has already been reduced, but a Fierce reaction From the audience, the extension is paid.

Opponents say that mines will bring “destruction and pollution”

The news about the mine came in legal files for the three court cases and the American Forestry Department Web site for the projectWhich states that it intends to publish the final environmental impact statement and a draft resolution to transport land and mines within 60 days.

The file said that if the Supreme Court refuses to hear the issue of religious freedom, the federal authorities will go forward with the approval of the project. If the court heard the case and rules against federal approval, the government will re -evaluate how to move forward.

“The Federal Reserve Bank is applying to give Oak an apartment to solve copper, even at a time when the Supreme Court considers whether the case will hear,” said Luke Godrich, Vice President and chief adviser at the Picky Religious Freedom Fund, which represents Apache’s stronghold in its case. “This makes the risks clear: If the court does not act now, Oak Flat can be transferred and destroyed before providing justice.”

Minerals like copper is crucial to everything from transportation lines to batteries for electric cars. Mines of such minerals can bring desired functions to rural areas. But they often destroy local lands waters.

The statement of the initial environmental impact of the federal government concludes that copper is to dissolve that the project will destroy holy oak orchards, sacred springs and burial sites, which leads to “what will be an indescribable hardship for these peoples.” It will also Use a lot of water Every year, as a city of Timby, the home of Arizona State University and 185,000 people. He will pull water from himself Exploiting the groundwater layer The Phoenix Metro is adopted, where Arizona has banned any other extraction except for exempt uses such as mines.

The proposed mine behind it will also leave a 500 -feet length of mine waste filled with 1.5 billion tons of toxic waste that must be constantly maintained to prevent spread.

Although the Upper City leaders have supported the mine, not every local support it. Henry Monoz, a worker of a lifeline mine who worked in the former copper mine in the city until he was closed and is now the chairman of the Board of Directors of the citizens concerned and the retired mining coalition, said that the administration’s decision is premature, but “the money talks in Washington.”

One of the National Mining Association Supreme Priorities The stopping project has been moved forward.

“Rio Tinto and BHP, they have billions and billions of dollars,” said Monos. “They could not pay attention to the environment, about the health and safety of people. Money is the motivation.”

In a statement, Vicky Billy, General Manager of Desolution Copper, said that the company “encouraged hearing” that the forest service was going on the project.

“The global mining project has the ability to become one of the largest copper mines in America, adding up to one billion dollars per year to the Erzona economy and the creation of thousands of local jobs in an area of ​​Arizona rural state where mining played an important role for more than a century,” she said. “A contract of comments from local communities and the original American tribes has formed this project in every step on the road, and we are still committed to maintaining an open dialogue to ensure the accuracy of the copper project forward with responsibility and sustainable with the transition to the next stage of the permit.”

Monods said that all the effects of the project are abroad, and it is available to the public to read in Hundreds of pages allowing documents. The decision of the public messages of the project was likened to the Satan, who tells someone not to read the Bible, because it will change what they felt towards it. In this case, he said that the public will realize that the project is not in the interest of the Americans.

“They are talking about the life of a 40 -year -old mine,” Monods said, hiding what will happen to surpass the time. “We will be like all other previous mining cities. We will get this old toilet to the old toilet on the hill. We will get this big discharge, and then we will finally finish the waste of 250 billion gallons of water that was intended for American taxpayers, in favor of two mining companies abroad. There is nothing good for us in this project.

A long battle for decades

Since the fifties of the last century, Oak Flat has been under the jurisdiction of the American Forest Authority and was included in the national registry of historical places. For years, legislators have pushed the land to be available for mining by transporting lands, as the company usually provides important lands from the environment that it owns in exchange for better lands for extraction, but it is not available for development.

Each attempt failed until 2014, when the late Senator Arizona John McCain and the Senator former Arizona Jeff Felk linked a contestant at the last minute in the defense bill that was conducted that year, which requires the transfer of an apartment to dissolve copper. Transport has launched one of the most controversial environmental battles in the country, as San Carlos Apache fights and the environment to stop the transport and save the Holy Land.

The copper includes the accuracy of the lands on Oak Flat Flat on the old growing Mesquite forest located in the San Pedro Valley in southern Arizona, near the city of Mammoth. Although sites with an area of ​​3000 acres are proud of birds, transport critics say that the site is not enough to compensate for the loss of oak, which is also habitat of multiple species listed under the Law of Endangered Species.

The other two invitations include the mine that will go through the court system after the case of the Apache stronghold reached its final decision from the San Carlos Apache tribe itself that argues, according to a treaty between the tribe and the American government, the land still belongs to the Apache tribe.

Another lawsuit, which was filed by the Arizona Mining Coalition, the Biological Diversity Center, the Earth’s Business, the Grand Canyon’s separation in the Sierra Club and the tribal league in Arizona, claimed that the forest service failed to analyze and reduce the possible environment damage to the environment and failed to comply with multiple laws and solas.

“Once we destroy this,” Monuz asked Ok’s apartment, “What did we leave?”