Rob Scott/Cronkite News

The Santa Rita Mountans.

A federal judge blocked the construction of what would be the third largest copper mine in the United States on Wednesday, halting plans to break ground on the Rosemont Mine in the Santa Rita Mountains, at least for now.

The mining company Hudbay Minerals Inc. is expected to appeal the decision to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. 

But for now, conservation groups and tribes that opposed the massive open-pit mine are celebrating the decision that includes a repudiation of the Forest Service’s long-standing interpretation of the 1872 Mining Law.

Randy Serraglio is with the Center for Biological Diversity, one of the groups that has been fighting the mine, and he joined The Show to talk about this development.

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