Stop Fast-Tracked Mining Projects That Threaten Wildlife

The Trump Administration is pushing forward a dangerous agenda to fast-track approvals for new copper, palladium, silver, and uranium mining operations across the United States without adequate environmental review. These projects pose an immediate threat to public lands and the wildlife that lives there.

Copper mining, in particular, offers a stark example of what’s at stake. The proposed Resolution Copper mine in Arizona would destroy Oak Flat—a sacred tribal site and an ecologically rich habitat for rare and threatened species, including the Arizona hedgehog cactus and the endangered Southwestern willow flycatcher. Mining operations would hollow out underground areas, leading to a crater the size of a skyscraper, collapsing the surface and devastating the fragile web of life above.

Meanwhile, uranium mining fast-tracked near the Grand Canyon endangers one of the most iconic and biologically diverse regions in the country. The toxic byproducts from mining can leach into groundwater and pollute streams and springs that countless animals—from endangered fish to migrating birds—depend on.

The fast-tracking process undermines the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), which is our nation’s bedrock environmental law. NEPA ensures that mining projects undergo careful environmental review and allow for public input before irreparable harm is done. Skipping this process to serve the short-term interests of mining companies puts long-term wildlife conservation, tribal sovereignty, and public health at risk.

This isn’t about opposing mining altogether—it’s about doing it responsibly. We cannot afford to let politically motivated rollbacks sacrifice ecosystems and endangered species for industry profit. Fast-tracking these mines is reckless and wrong.

The Administration should immediately halt fast-tracked mining approvals and reinstate full environmental review processes. Protect our wildlife, protect our water, and protect the public’s right to a healthy, thriving environment.

Sign this petition and stand up for America’s wildlife and nearby communities before these landscapes are lost forever.

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Source

https://www.hechoonline.org/blog/resolution-coppers-mine-at-oak-flat-myths-vs-facts

Photo credit Flickr user arbyreed used under CC2.0