# Plain Language Summary: Unleashing American Resources Act

This bill is about a copper mining project in Arizona called the Resolution Copper Project. The basic idea is to force the government to move forward with an environmental review that was previously stopped. Back in March 2021, the Department of Agriculture withdrew an environmental impact statement (basically a detailed analysis of how a project will affect the environment) for this copper mine and a related land swap. This bill says the Agriculture Secretary must reissue that environmental review within 90 days and is not allowed to withdraw it again.

The practical effect is that this bill removes a major obstacle that was blocking the Resolution Copper Project from moving forward. The project involves a large-scale copper mining operation and would include exchanging some federal land for private land. By requiring the environmental review to be reissued and preventing it from being withdrawn again, the bill essentially clears the way for the mining project to proceed. The bill also declares that once this environmental review is reissued, it automatically satisfies the legal requirements under the National Environmental Policy Act, which is the main federal law that governs how environmental reviews must be conducted.

This matters to Arizona residents and copper industry workers because it could lead to a major mining operation in the state, bringing jobs and economic activity. However, it also matters to people concerned about environmental protection, since the bill limits the government's ability to reconsider or stop the project based on environmental concerns. The bill essentially prioritizes moving the project forward over the ability to conduct additional environmental review or reconsideration.

Unleashing American Resources Act

Lesko, Debbie

Unleashing American Resources Act This bill directs the Forest Service to reissue the final environmental impact statement for the Resolution Copper Project and Land Exchange (a copper mining project in Arizona) that was withdrawn on March 5, 2021. The bill also specifies that the reissued statement meets certain environmental requirements.