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Native American group looks for to overturn United States court judgment on Rio's Arizona copper mine

A Native American group has asked all members of a U.S. appeals court on Monday to overturn an earlier ruling that gave land to Rio Tinto for a copper mine in Arizona, saying the land was spiritual and culturally significant.

A ruling from a smaller group of the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had previously this month ruled that the federal government might give away thousands of acres in U.S. state Arizona to Rio Tinto and minority partner BHP for the Resolution Copper job.

Apache Stronghold, a nonprofit group comprised of the San Carlos Apache tribe and others has actually long opposed the mine, which would damage a website where Native ceremonies have actually been held for generations.

If developed, the mine would provide more than a quarter of U.S. copper need for the renewable resource shift. However, it would produce a crater 2 miles (3 km) wide and 1,000 feet (304. m) deep that would damage that worship website.

If any case warrants full-court evaluation, it is this one,. said Luke Goodrich, a Becket Law attorney who represents Apache. Stronghold.

A Rio Tinto representative told : Resolution Copper is. knowledgeable about Apache Stronghold's remarkable action to seek review. of the 9th Circuit's full panel and we await the court's. direction on next steps.

BHP did not respond to ask for remark.

When the U.S. appeals court authorized the land swap, it had. basically deferred to a 2014 choice by the U.S. Congress and. then-President Barack Obama.

The choice comes amid the U.S. presidential election. season, in which previous President Donald Trump, who supports the. mine, is likely to take on versus President Joe Biden, who. directly won Arizona in the 2020 election thanks to Native. American votes.

(source: Reuters)