The land swap bill implies that more than 5,000 acres of high-value Arizona conservation lands – including endangered species, sensitive ecosystems, recreational sites and historic landmarks – will be protected.
Rio Tinto and BHP’s plans to build North America’s largest copper mine in Arizona were dealt a major blow recently when congressional supporters of the project cancelled a vote on the land swap bill that could allow the vast Resolution Copper mine to go ahead.
See http://www.mining.com/lawmakers-stall-vote-on-bill-that-will-open-door-to-largest-us-copper-mine-34215/?utm_source=digest-en-mining-131114&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=digest.