Key Arizona Legislation Opens Door for U.S. Copper Production

Last week, the Senate passed the National Defense Authorization Act, which included a key piece of legislation for Arizona, “The Southeast Arizona Land Exchange and Conservation Act.” This bill, as outlined by Prescott News, will allow for the development of the Resolution Copper Mine and “create 4,000 jobs and generate $60 billion for Arizona’s economy.”

U.S. Congressman Paul A. Gosar (AZ—04) , who sponsored the legislation, commended the Senate saying:

“It is always refreshing to see bipartisan efforts from members in both the House and Senate, working together for the good of our constituents who have made it clear that they want Congress to focus on job creation. This mine is a remarkable achievement for Arizona and will provide economic and, with the land exchange, ecological benefits for decades.”

Sens. John McCain (R—AZ) and Jeff Flake (R—AZ), major supporters of Resolution Mine, have also applauded the move calling the mine a “game changer” for Arizona’s economic challenges.

Once Resolution Mine is in full production, it will be the largest copper mine in North America and supply 25 percent of the United States’ copper. By boosting our domestic copper supply, this project will reduce our reliance on foreign resources, which according to McCain and Flake, shows that “there is clearly a strategic national interest in increasing America’s domestic production of copper. To maintain the strength of the most technologically-advanced military in the world, America’s armed forces need stable supplies of copper for their equipment, ammunition, and electronics.”

Projects like the Resolution Copper help stimulate not only local and state economies, but also our nation’s economy. Production of domestic minerals like copper contributes to our economic recovery, supplies countless jobs and supports the development of technologies that we depend on every day.