Appeals court blocks land swap for Resolution copper mine at Oak Flat

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court blocked a proposed land swap that would allow construction of a copper mine at Oak Flat.

Mine opponents asked the court to prevent Resolution Copper from taking control of 2,200 acres east of Phoenix until the full case could be argued in the court.

Opponents of the mine have fought the land swap for years and continued to hold out hope that an appeals court would block the exchange.

A federal appeals court temporarily halted a land exchange that would allow construction of a copper mine on a site held sacred by Arizona tribes, acting just hours before the swap could have been completed.

Ruling late Monday, Aug. 18, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a temporary restraining order blocking the land exchange at Oak Flat, where Resolution Copper want