Representative Blackman said, “The Resolution Copper project is a rare opportunity to strengthen Arizona’s economy—especially in the historic Copper Corridor and across District 7. It will bring high-wage jobs, critical infrastructure investments, and lasting economic support for local businesses.”
The Resolution Copper Project is anticipated to create thousands of construction jobs at first, with thousands more supported during decades of mine operations.
With Arizona’s average mining wage at around $100,000, these jobs promise to enhance the livelihoods of working families across the state.
The project is also expected to generate tens of millions in annual tax revenue, enabling critical investments in public roads and essential services for the Town of Superior and the surrounding areas.
The FEIS, culminating over a decade of National Environmental Policy Act analysis, incorporates extensive input from tribal governments, local communities, and other stakeholders.
Resolution Copper’s Community Working Group has played a vital role in developing mitigation strategies and promoting shared goals.
Additionally, more than 23 local municipalities and organizations have signed Good Neighbor Agreements, establishing a structure for responsible land and community management throughout the mine’s lifespan.
Blackman added, “Resolution Copper has made a genuine effort to work with the community and earn local support—truly being a good neighbor. This project is ready to move forward, and it’s time it does. I urge the Forest Service to act without further delay.”
Representative Blackman emphasized the project’s alignment with Arizona’s legacy as a leader in U.S. copper production. He urged the USFS to proceed with the land exchange, highlighting the potential to drive sustainable economic growth for the Copper Corridor and throughout Arizona.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
The Resolution Copper project, a joint venture of BHP and Rio Tinto, issued a statement Tuesday welcoming the republication of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) for its proposed underground mine 60 miles east of Phoenix near Superior, AZ.
The proposed development of the largest untapped copper deposit in the world relies on a major land-swap between the Rio Tinto, BHP, federal and state governments to proceed.
Initially the FEIS for the project was released by the Forest Service in 2021, but was later withdrawn by the agency to provide additional time for the USFS to study the objections of tribal governments and the overall community.
The proposed mine is controversial and would ultimately transform the Oak Flat parcel southwest of Superior, currently forest service land, into a 1.8-mile-wide crater between 800 and 1,115 feet deep, in exchange for 6,005 acres of land to be transferred by BHP and Rio Tinto local, state and federal governments and agencies.
“As part of the land exchange, Resolution Copper has committed to initiatives that support cultural preservation, recreation, education, employment, economic development, and nature through long-term partnerships with Native American Tribes and local communities. This includes significant funding in a long-term Native American Trust Fund and Emory Oak restoration,” Resolution Copper stated. “Other commitments focus on conservation and monitoring of seeps and springs; restoration and preservation of creeks, rivers, and watersheds; and habitat enhancement for biodiversity.”
Vicky Peacey, General Manager of Resolution Copper said, “Through this process, we have deepened our relationships with local communities and Native American Tribes, including our senior leaders spending time with Tribal leaders to listen and build mutual understanding. We welcome the opportunity to continue these conversations as we move into the next phase of permitting. Working together, mining can co-exist with cultural heritage, recreation, and nature, while delivering new economic opportunities in rural Arizona.”
“This project has undergone one of the most comprehensive environmental and social reviews in U.S. history,” she added. “The republication of the FEIS reflects the thorough work by the USFS, local communities, and Native American Tribes and the seriousness with which all stakeholders have approached this process. We remain committed to earning trust through transparency, engagement, and responsible development as we move forward.” In PR posts to social media, Resolution Copper boasts the prospects of adding $1.2 Billion to Arizona’s economy and thousands of jobs in Superior and Magma, AZ, totaling $270 million in annual salaries.
USDA announces one major step toward unleashing American mineral independence with this draft record of decision for the Resolution Copper mining project. @POTUS is putting America First
In a statement posted to X, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins expressed the Trump administration’s support for the proposal early in the week, noting that the republication of the withdrawn FEIS is “an important step in advancing President Trump’s goal of emergency and mineral independence by boosting domestic mineral production.” Rollins added, “The Resolution Copper project is a prime example of how we can harness America’s abundant resources to fuel growth in rural America, reduce our dependence on foreign imports, strengthen our supply chains, and enhance our national security.”
The U.S. Department of Agriculture detailed in a Tuesday release that the land transfer cannot occur until August 19, 2025, or 60 days after the Federal Register notice is published per a ruling from a U.S. District Court on June 9th. It added that, if approved, the mine is projected to generate $149 million in annual payroll, with approximately 1,500 jobs, providing between $80 and $120 million a year in estimated state and local tax revenue as well as $200 million a year to the federal government. The final environmental impact statement is expected to be posted to the Federal Register, along with the draft decision record from the USFS on June 20th.
The public has 45 days to make any objections to the decision and the USFS must respond and address any objections within 90 days, meaning the project could see final approval as soon as November 2nd.
During a special session on Tuesday, the Pinal County Board of Supervisors approved a plan to fix incorrect early ballots mailed to about 63,000 voters last week. The ballots were missing city and town contests from seven municipalities: Casa Grande, Eloy, Mammoth, Maricopa, and Superior, along with the Pinal County portions of Apache Junction and Queen Creek.
Pinal County agreed with the secretary of state’s office to send supplemental ballots, or “Municipal Only” ballots, to all voters in the seven municipalities. However, those voters must also use their original ballot for all federal, state, and legislative contests — the supplemental ballots will only account for the races absent from the original, erroneous ballots.
The county will also have in-person voting at Election Day polling sites for municipal contests in the seven impacted cities and towns. As for voters with ballots including races outside their jurisdiction, the county assured reporters that the election tabulation system would invalidate and not count them.
— Pinal County – Government 🌵 (@PinalCounty) July 13, 2022
As the Arizona Daily Independent noted, Elections Director David Frisk acknowledged that the county officials bore full responsibility, namely himself.
“Due to human errors made by myself and staff under my direct supervision, ballots were produced and mailed to voters within seven municipalities without the appropriate local races and measures,” said Frisk. “I missed the crucial step of ensuring that each ballot style produced had appropriate races on it […] It was my mistake.”
The plan comes after AZ Free News reported about one Pinal County resident — attorney general candidate Tiffany Shedd — who petitioned her election officials repeatedly about address errors on her and her family’s voter ID cards. Several weeks before the county mailed the 63,000 erroneous ballots, a deputy county attorney informed Shedd — after alleged hostility from the recorder’s office — that she could no longer contact election officials about her issue.
“Our driver’s licenses don’t match our voter ID cards and it was unacceptable to me that any elections official thought it was okay that we might be forced to cast a provisional ballot,” remarked Shedd at the time. “It is a huge problem to receive a ballot for an election that we are not qualified to vote in, and to be denied the opportunity to vote in your own city’s elections. Is it any wonder people are questioning whether our elections are free and fair?”
Shedd also reported that her son received a ballot including a city council race, despite living outside city limits. This was one issue that affected thousands of other Pinal County voters.
For weeks I have been raising the alarm about the wrong address on voter registrations and it’s effect on the primary. After being ignored we now have a huge mess! #Elections2022pic.twitter.com/SRo5ANzokp
