Save Oak Flat from Foreign Mining Act
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
In CommitteeMrs. Grijalva (for herself, Ms. Leger Fernandez, Mr. Lieu, Mr. …
Summary
What This Bill Does
This bill blocks a proposed copper mine at Oak Flat in Arizona's Tonto National Forest by repealing the 2014 law that would give the land to Resolution Copper Mining, LLC. It permanently withdraws Oak Flat from all mining, mineral leasing, and public land disposal.
Who Benefits and How
Apache and other Indigenous communities benefit because Oak Flat, a sacred site listed on the National Register of Historic Places, would be permanently protected from destruction. Arizona water users in the East Salt River Valley benefit because the mine would have consumed 250 billion gallons of groundwater over 40 years. Environmental conservation groups and national security advocates benefit from blocking foreign-controlled mining interests (Rio Tinto and BHP, with significant Chinese investment) from extracting American copper primarily for export to China.
Who Bears the Burden and How
Resolution Copper Mining, LLC (a joint venture of Rio Tinto and BHP) loses its planned copper mine, representing a major loss of expected revenue and prior investment. Shareholders of Rio Tinto and BHP face reduced returns. The domestic copper supply chain may face marginally reduced production, though the bill's proponents argue the copper was destined for export anyway.
Key Provisions
- Repeals Section 3003 of Public Law 113-291, which required the Forest Service to transfer Oak Flat to Resolution Copper after completion of an environmental impact statement
- Permanently withdraws approximately 2,422 acres of Oak Flat from all forms of mining entry, appropriation, and disposal
- Withdraws the area from mineral and geothermal leasing
- Documents Congressional findings about foreign ownership concerns, Chinese investment in Rio Tinto, water depletion impacts, and Indigenous cultural significance
Evidence Chain:
This summary is derived from the structured analysis below. See "Detailed Analysis" for per-title beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
Primary Purpose
Repeals the 2014 land exchange provision that would transfer Oak Flat in Tonto National Forest to Resolution Copper Mining, LLC, and permanently withdraws Oak Flat from mining, mineral leasing, and disposal
Policy Domains
Legislative Strategy
"Block foreign-controlled mining corporation from acquiring sacred public lands by repealing enabling legislation and permanently withdrawing land from mineral development"
Likely Beneficiaries
- Apache and other Indigenous communities with cultural ties to Oak Flat
- Environmental conservation groups
- Arizona residents and water users in East Salt River Valley
- National security interests concerned about Chinese influence over critical minerals
Likely Burden Bearers
- Resolution Copper Mining, LLC (loses planned copper mine)
- Rio Tinto and BHP shareholders
- Mining industry interests
- Some copper consumers if domestic production is reduced
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "forest_service"
- → United States Forest Service
- "resolution_copper"
- → Resolution Copper Mining, LLC (Rio Tinto 55%, BHP 45%)
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
Approximately 2,422 acres of Forest Service land in the Tonto National Forest in southeastern Arizona commonly known as Oak Flat
Resolution Copper Mining, LLC, formed by foreign mining entities Rio Tinto (55%) and BHP (45%) to acquire Oak Flat and extract copper beneath it
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology