Opponents renew fight against Superior copper mine

Opponents of a planned copper mine near Superior, slated to become one of the largest in North America, are renewing efforts to kill the project.

U.S. Rep. Raúl Grijalva, with the support of fellow Arizona Democrat Rep. Ruben Gallego, introduced a bill Wednesday to block the federal land exchange sought by mining company Resolution Copper to open the mine.

Leaders of the San Carlos Apache Tribe pushed for the bill, called "Save Oak Flat." The legislation says the mine would destroy or endanger sacred sites and bypass environmental restrictions.

Tribal Chairman Terry Rambler said tribes were able to stop the mine by galvanizing opposition in Congress until the exchange was quietly at the last minute slipped into a separate Senate bill last year.

MORE: Congress approves colossal Arizona copper mine

"We were successful at keeping this (land deal) from being passed for 10 years because it infringes on the Apache religion," he said. "We had enough support to defeat this bill (before), and I believe we still have enough."

Rambler said mine supporters' claims that the lands aren't sacred are condescending to a people who have lived in the area since before the U.S. was founded. And he said the jobs promised by the company are exaggerated and come at the expense of the environment.

"Congress shouldn't be in the business of helping big corporations at others' expense, and it certainly shouldn't break faith with Native American communities," Grijalva said in a statement.

He said the mine would sink an area called Oak Flat, used by tribal members to collect acorns and conduct religious ceremonies, and endanger Apache Leap, where tribal warriors once jumped to their deaths to avoid capture by the U.S. cavalry. Mine activities, such as installation of seismic monitoring equipment, fences and signs, could inhibit visitors to Apache Leap, opponents say.

Co-sponsors include three Republicans and 11 Democrats. At least one of the Republicans, Rep. Tom Cole of Oklahoma, previously helped stall the land exchange over concerns from tribes in his state who had joined with the San Carlos tribe.

The bill also claims the Senate approved the deal without proper debate.

U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., with support from much of the Arizona delegation and business community, engineered approval of the land exchange last year by inserting it in the defense budget, circumventing foes who had blocked the bill for nearly a decade.

"What this unpopular corporate giveaway was doing in the national-security bill is anyone's guess," Grijalva said. McCain at the time defended the mine as important to national security, because copper is used in technology and other industries, and the mine has the potential to supply as much as 25 percent of the nation's copper demand.

On Wednesday, he blasted the repeal effort.

McCain said the land exchange does not involve tribal land or sacred sites as defined by the Interior Department. He said it provides more than 5,000 acres of threatened habitat for conservation, a full environmental impact study and protections for Apache Leap.

Further, he cited the mine's promised economic impact, noting the sky-high unemployment rate among tribal members. Mine officials say the plan would create 3,700 jobs near Superior and more than $61 billion in economic benefits to the state.

"I am disappointed but not surprised that longtime mine opponents are trying to stop the project and kill the thousands of jobs and billions in economic activity it is set to create," McCain said in a statement. "Resolution Copper is a game-changer for one of the most economically-depressed areas of Arizona. ... It is incomprehensible that any member of Congress would try to eliminate their constituents' economic opportunities."

Resolution Copper spokeswoman Jennifer Russo said the company was disappointed by the anti-mine bill. The company is required under the current deal to obtain an independent appraisal of the land exchange's value, consult with Arizona tribes and offer opportunities for public comment, she said.

"Those supporting the repeal legislation would be better off participating in the regulatory process, rather than pursue a legislative blockage of the economic benefits and jobs that the mine will create," Russo said in a statement.

Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry spokesman Garrick Taylor said the mine has received bipartisan support because of its potential to have a big economic impact on the state. "If there are remaining concerns that stakeholders believe need to be addressed, there are processes that exist to do so," he said.