Victory for Mojave National Preserve: Court Rules to Keep Block on Destructive Mining Development

LOS ANGELES – A federal district court ruled late yesterday to maintain the block it put on new mining operations in the Mojave National Preserve by Dateline Resources Ltd. The preliminary injunction was granted in August to the National Parks Conservation Association, represented by Earthjustice, in National Parks Conservation Association v. Department of the Interior. Today’s ruling upholds its August decision, rejecting requests by the Department of Interior and Dateline Resources to suspend the injunction.

The lawsuit was filed earlier this year to challenge the Department of Interior’s decision to allow the Australian company to proceed with industrial mining activities at Colosseum Mine on national park land, in violation of federal laws that protect America’s national parks from mining impacts.

Dateline Resources has been working to reopen the Colosseum Mine, decommissioned in 1993, increasing industrial development at the site prior to the preliminary injunction order. This activity has already caused documented damage to the national park landscape, with areas stripped of vegetation, new road construction and expansion, and restricted public access.

As the court stated, the preliminary injunction “was entered to protect the public interest in preventing irreparable environmental injury,” and it has stopped further grading, new drilling activity, bulldozing of sensitive habitat, and road development. The injunction will remain in effect while the lawsuit continues. The court rejected the mining company’s arguments about possible discovery of minerals, calling them “speculation.”

Mojave National Preserve was established by Congress in 1994 and protects one of the largest desert preserves in the world. Covering 1.6 million acres of diverse desert habitat, the national park site is the third-largest unit of the National Park System in the contiguous United States.

Statement from Chance Wilcox, California Desert Associate Director at the National Parks Conservation Association:

“Our national parks are not places for industrial mining. They are irreplaceable landscapes shared by the American people and deserving of protection. The court has reaffirmed that bulldozing, drilling, and grading cannot destroy Mojave National Preserve while this lawsuit continues, and that is now very clear. Our parks were never meant for private profit, and that’s a legacy worth defending.”

Statement from Greg Loarie, Earthjustice attorney:

“This ruling reinforces our conviction that the Trump administration has failed to uphold federal laws written to protect our national park lands for the public to enjoy. Drilling and bulldozing of sensitive habitat must remain on hold while this case proceeds.”

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About the National Parks Conservation Association: Since 1919, the nonpartisan National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) has been the leading voice in safeguarding our national parks. NPCA and its more than 1.9 million members and supporters work together to protect and preserve our nation’s most iconic and inspirational places for future generations. For more information, visit www.npca.org.

About Earthjustice: Earthjustice is the premier nonprofit public interest environmental law organization. We wield the power of law and the strength of partnership to protect people’s health, to preserve magnificent places and wildlife, to advance clean energy, and to combat climate change.