Secretary Burgum Urges Action on Resolution Copper Project After Ninth Circuit Stay

WASHINGTON —Today, Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, chair of the National Energy Dominance Council issued a statement following a decision by the Ninth Circuit Court panel to block the land exchange approved by Congress, which is necessary to build the Resolution Copper mine in Arizona. 

“The Resolution Copper project is vital to America’s long-term security, energy infrastructure and global competitiveness,” said Secretary Doug Burgum. “Congress has made its intent clear, and this project has been reviewed and approved at every level. The Ninth Circuit needs to lift the stay immediately and allow the project to move forward after years of delay. Continued judicial interference not only impedes progress, but it also weakens our strategic position at a time when the U.S. must lead in critical mineral production.” 

The Resolution Copper project, authorized by Congress through a mandated land exchange, is now once again halted following a stay issued by a motions panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. This decision threatens to derail a project that would supply up to 25% of America’s copper demand for the next 50 years. The consequences of continued delay are significant: nearly 3,700 American jobs are at risk, and the United States remains dangerously dependent on foreign-controlled copper supply chains, particularly as one nation now controls over 50% of global copper processing and is rapidly increasing its production. With copper being essential to national defense, energy infrastructure, AI data centers and other emerging technologies, the stay directly undermines America's national security, economic competitiveness and efforts toward energy independence. 

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