It’s been two years since

A statement from Resolution Cooper said the ruling is consistent with prior decisions and gives the parties time to review the final environmental impact statement that will be issued later this month.“We are confident the project satisfies all applicable legal requirements,” said Resolution president and general manager Vicky Peacey.

She added that years of consultation with tribes and communities resulted in changes to the mining plan to reduce potential effects.The fight over Oak Flat dates back about 20 years, when legislation proposing the land exchange was first introduced. It failed repeatedly in Congress before being included in a must-pass national defense spending bill in 2014.San Carlos Apache Chairman Terry Rambler said Monday that the bill was not in the best interest of the American people, Arizona or his tribe. He said concerns persist about the mine’s use of groundwater and the pending obliteration of the culturally significant site.

Apache Stronghold and the tribein 2021 to protect the place tribal members call Chi’chil Bildagoteel, which is dotted with ancient oak groves and traditional plants the Apaches consider essential to their religion. The U.S. Supreme Court

by the Apache group, letting lower court rulings stand.

The project has support inFollow Annika Hammerschlag on Instagram

The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of AP’s environmental coverage, visitSydney Moore and Sabrina Ootsburg were surrounded by hundreds of college athletes at AthleteCon when news broke that the $2.8 billion NCAA settlement had been

by a federal judge. In a room full of college athletes, they felt like the only two people who understood the gravity of the situation.“I’m about to get paid,” Moore said a Division I football player told her.