A desert landscape with saguaros, mountains and dark clouds in the background.

Court revives Native American legal challenge to billion-dollar energy corridor across sacred Arizona land

A federal appeals court has reinstated a tribal lawsuit against the Interior Department over a massive transmission line project, saying the agency may have failed its legal duty to protect culturally significant sites in Arizona’s San Pedro Valley.

Susan Montoya Bryan reports for The Associated Press.

In short:

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the U.S. Interior Department may have failed to properly consult Native tribes about the SunZia transmission project, ordering the case to be reconsidered.
The Tohono O’odham Nation and other plaintiffs argue that proper consultation would have led to the San Pedro Valley receiving historic property designation, which might have altered the project’s approval.
The SunZia line is a $10 billion conduit for wind power from New Mexico to California, promoted by the Biden administration and now under review during President Trump’s current term.

Key quote:

“The Tohono O’odham Nation supports clean, renewable energy — when it is done the right way. With the SunZia project, the federal government failed to work with tribes to protect our cultural resources as required by law.”

— Verlon Jose, chairman of the Tohono O’odham Nation

Why this matters:

Energy infrastructure projects are surging to meet rising electricity demand, but they often clash with environmental protections and tribal sovereignty. The SunZia project slices through a region long regarded as sacred by multiple Indigenous groups. While renewable energy is vital for decarbonizing the power grid, the push for “green” infrastructure is exposing a persistent blind spot: the failure to meaningfully include Native voices in federal planning. The law requires consultation, not just notification.

apnews.com

Court revives Native American legal challenge to billion-dollar energy corridor across sacred Arizona land

China and Europe vow joint climate action as US exits Paris accord

Brazil’s Amazon city prepares for climate summit as world leaders face realities of deforestation and poverty

Wildfires drive mass evacuations in Turkey as record heat fuels blazes

Wildfires expose Bolivia’s fragile ecosystems and policy failures

Rising summer heat drives more Americans indoors and sparks mental health concerns

Interior Department expands scope of potential federal layoffs to over 1,400 job groups

OSHA heat rule advances despite Trump-era deregulation push

Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

One facility has emitted cancer-causing chemicals into waterways at levels up to 520% higher than legal limits.

Pennsylvania health advocates say Trump’s first 100 days in office have caused “100 harms” to local communities

“They're terrorizing these scientists because they want to keep them silent.”

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

"The reality is, we are not exposed to one chemical at a time.”

Two years into his term, has Gov. Shapiro kept his promises to regulate Pennsylvania’s fracking industry?

A new report assesses the administration’s progress and makes new recommendations

An open letter from EPA staff to the American public

“We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. We need to hold this administration accountable.”

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.