Supreme Court rejects emergency bid to stop Oak Flat transfer; Resolution Copper now owns the land

Rio Tinto/Resolution Copper

The Supreme Court tossed an emergency appeal by a group of Apache women seeking to block the Oak Flat transfer, leaving in place a 13 March Ninth Circuit ruling that the challenge was unlikely to succeed. Title passed to Resolution Copper on 13 March and the Forest Service issued its final record of decision on 16 March, when Resolution said exploratory drilling would begin.

• Claims rested on religious-freedom, environmental and historic-preservation laws.
• Case: Lopez v. US, No. 25A1008.
• Resolution told the court it would start exploratory drilling on 16 March.