Congress today voted to approve the National Defense Authorization Act, which funds the Defense Department. More than a thousand pages into that bill is a provision authorizing a land exchange, which would allow a mining company to drill for Copper near Superior.

The Resolution Copper Mine has been in the works for several years. Arizona Congressman Paul Gosar has been one of the project’s main supporters.

But critics of the project are less excited about today’s vote. Sandy Bahr, Director of the Grand Canyon Chapter of the Sierra Club, said her group’s been fighting the mine project for several years and hopes the mine provision is removed from the bill before it gets to the president.