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Biden plan would overhaul 151-year-old mining laws
The Biden administration is recommending changes to a 151-year-old law that governs mining for copper, gold and other hardrock minerals on U.S.-owned lands, including making companies for the first time pay royalties on what they extract.
First generation of solar panels will wear out, recycling industry taking shape
In Yuma, a desert city where Arizona, California, Sonora and Baja California meet, North America's first utility-scale solar panel recycling plant has opened to address what founders of We Recycle Solar call a "tsunami" of solar waste. Plans to address climate change rely on massively scaling up clean, solar electricity.
In global race for critical minerals, Arizona can lead way responsibly
As the world moves to meet the demand for clean energy technologies, there is an unprecedented need for the rare metals that comprise them.
Historic mining town backs copper project on land Native American groups say is sacred
Competing interests have ignited a tug of war between Superior, a town of about 3,000 people who want a huge copper mine built there for its economic benefits, and Native American groups that consider the land sacred and are fighting to protect it from disturbance.
Oak Flat is sacred land to some Native Americans, but endangered by mine plan
The 6.7-square-mile (17.3 square-kilometer) Oak Flat is a verdant oasis in an arid landscape dotted with towering saguaro cacti, majestic rock spires and sweeping canyons. It is also here that Resolution Copper Mining, a joint subsidiary of British and Australian mining giants, Rio Tinto and BHP, wants to remove layers of rock to extract copper from deep underground.
Cannabis sales soar, but don’t threaten 5 C’s
Sales of marijuana in Arizona soared to $1.6 billion in 2021, just one year after recreational cannabis was legalized in the state, making Arizona second only to California for retail sales that year, according to an industry research group.
Initiative should create jobs, boost economic output in aerospace industry
To address the growing need for a continually diversified and modern workforce, the New Economy Initiative was signed into law, providing millions of dollars in state funding through the Arizona Board of Regents to invest in Arizona’s economic future. This initiative aims to create 40,000 new jobs by 2041, increase economic output to $6.9 billion by 2023, and double the state’s investment in r[...]
Group pushes cities, towns to use electric vehicles
Arizona Public Interest Research Group Education Fund is continuing its advocacy efforts to widen electric vehicle usage across the state.
‘Good Samaritan’ bill aims to allow cleanup of abandoned, leaking mines
Arizona could have as many as 100,000 abandoned mines, many leaching toxic minerals into the state’s waterways, but state environmental officials said cleanup has been hampered by the fear of litigation.
Weaponize Our Surfaces Against the Next Virus
In the COVID-19 era, the most mundane of activities—like going to the grocery store or gas station—can feel perilous. Every surface we touch could host a virus we can’t see but we know can be deadly. But what if that wasn’t the case? What if we could make everyday surfaces into virus killers? We can and we should.
Lawmakers challenge proposal to have Oak Flat listed as historic site
Supporters of a copper mine proposed for Oak Flat have been given until Friday to make the case that the area, deemed sacred by the San Carlos Apache, should not be designated a historic site.
Freeport-McMoRan chair and co-founder Moffett resigns
James R. Moffett, the executive chairman and co-founder of the mining company Freeport-McMoRan, is stepping down as plunging commodity prices lead to mass layoffs across the entire industry.
