Product Overview

From its inception, the Resolution Copper Mining (RCM) joint venture faced a number of significant technical, political, and environmental challenges as it attempted to develop a strategy for mining a copper ore body located under the Tonto National Forest in Superior, Arizona. As president and CEO of RCM, David Salisbury faced a number of key decisions in 2008-10 to keep the project on track. The success of the mine hinged on a politically complicated land exchange?and an act of Congress?in which the federal government would give RCM land containing the copper ore in exchange for parcels of ecological significance. Accomplishing this goal required Salisbury to engage with multiple stakeholders and navigate a complicated congressional landscape.

Learning Objectives

1. Should companies be liable for promises they make if they encounter unpredictable circumstances? 2. Is there an economic limit to sustainability practices? How should companies prioritize sustainability among other fiscal concerns? Could this lead to a slippery slope? 3. Are measurable items such as jobs comparable to intangible items such as promises? How should companies compare such vastly different things?