I study the governance processes to balance trade-off situations regarding proposed mines in the US which are located on sacred land from indigenous people. I am in particular interested in mines framed as important for energy transformation.
1) Pinyon Plain Mine adjacent to Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, US
Pinyon Plain Mine is a uranium mine located seven miles south of Grand Canyon National Park that poses environmental threats to its surrounding region. The approval for Pinyon Plain Mine dates back to 1986. During the construction of the mine in 2016, drilling pierces an aquifer which leads to the contamination of water with arsenic and uranium. Much of the water is pumped to a pond (see picture) that attracts local wildlife. Pinyon Plain Mine is located within the Red Butte Traditional Cultural Property, an area of religious and cultural importance to multiple tribes, particularly the Havasupai. Together with Emmalyn Meyer and Sydney Lewis, I study the governance processes to balance the trade-off situation between the framed support of zero-emission energy and creating jobs while posing a threat to the environment and a health risk to the Havasupai Tribe.
Pinyon Plain Mine adjacent to Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, US. Photo: Elke Kellner
2) Copper Resolution Mine, Arizona, US
The Copper Resolution Mine is expected to become the largest copper mine in North America, capable of producing up to 25 percent of U.S. copper demand each year. However, the copper mine would operate on ancestral land of Native American Tribes which is now owned by the US government. The land is still used for cultural and spiritual activities of the Tribes. The area is also a recreation area for hiking, biking, camping, birdwatching, canyoneering, bouldering, and rock climbing. The operation of the mine would destroy parts of the land and would have also a broader impact on the environment, for example, water pollution.
This situation constitutes a difficult trade-off situation. The minerals are important for energy transformation, but their extraction risks the exploitation of Indigenous territories, resources, and people. One potential approach is a land exchange, but sacred land cannot be exchanged. Together with Sydney Lewis, I study the governance processes to balance the trade-off situation.
