Hard rock mining in Arizona has left a toxic legacy from uranium mining on the Navajo Nation to an ongoing, massive copper mine proposal that threatens the ancestral homelands of Indigenous Peoples, as is the case of Oak Flat. As this state sees a massive push for new mining of materials used in the energy transition, our work is focused on partnering with frontline communities to protect sensitive arid groundwater dependent ecosystems. We support Arizona Congressman Grijalva’s efforts to reform the archaic 1872 General Mining Act.
We support a number of grassroots groups throughout Arizona. We work with members of the Hualapai Tribe who are threatened by lithium extraction at the Big Sandy project near Peach Springs in north west Arizona. In the eastern portion of the state, we support the Indigenous led efforts of the Apache Stronghold and other groups opposing the Oak Flat mine where the Trump Administration transferred sacred lands to a mining corporation. We work with Patagonia Area Resource Alliance (PARA) in their efforts to protect the Patagonia Mountains from the proposed Hermosa mine, which could discharge pollution into sensitive watersheds that support incredible biodiversity.
