H.R. 6391, the Save Oak Flat from Foreign Mining Act, would repeal a 2014 law that requires the Forest Service to transfer approximately 2,422 acres of public land known as Oak Flat in Arizona's Tonto National Forest to Resolution Copper, a joint venture between foreign mining companies Rio Tinto and BHP. The bill also permanently withdraws Oak Flat from mining activities and mineral development. The legislation targets concerns that Resolution Copper plans to extract copper from beneath Oak Flat primarily for export to China—where both parent companies send the majority of their mineral products—rather than for domestic use or benefit. Supporters argue the mining operation would cause severe environmental damage including depletion of 250 billion gallons of groundwater over 40 years and destruction of land sacred to Native American tribes, while critics contend it sacrifices U.S. resources and security interests to foreign corporations. There is no specific funding authorization in the bill, as it is primarily a repeal and land withdrawal measure.
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