Supreme Court steers clear of Ariz. ski resort dispute

[AlphaCentauri]

Source: The Arizona Republic

The United States Supreme Court on Monday turned down a request by several Arizona Indian tribes to stop a Flagstaff ski area from making artificial snow from treated wastewater on the San Francisco Peaks.

The case has bounced through federal court for several years, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals considered the case twice, first siding with the Native Americans, who revere the mountains as sacred sites. Last August, the Appeals Court reconsidered in favor of the management of Arizona Snowbowl.

At issue is whether religious groups can trump the mandated multiple uses of federal land by the general public. Snowbowl sits in the Coconino National Forest, not on Indian land.


Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2009/06/08/20090608snowbowl0608-onl.html

[tularetom]

1. Would they do the same thing if it was a christian group objecting to the proposal

I guess I'm glad they did this but I don't think I want to ski on frozen shit.

But I'd bet anything if it was some sacred christian site that the ski area wanted to use the decision would have been different.

on edit: this is probably why they punted the case back to the lower court

[zbdent]

2. remember, Tancredo didn't suggest nuking the Vatican ...

he insisted on nuking Mecca ...

[Atman]

4. It's not "frozen shit."

Treated wastewater is often cleaner than what comes out your garden hose. But because of it's source, it cannot be used for "normal" purposes. Back in Cocoa Beach where I grew up, there was a big water treatment plant right next to the high school and golf course. They used to take us on tours, and they had a huge fish tank filled with fresh water fish swimming in the treated waste water. The city used the water for the golf course and for street sweepers, because that's all they could do it. But it's hardly fair to call it "frozen shit" when the same type of water is used for snowmaking.

[AlphaCentauri]

6. There are reports that reclaimed waters contains human hormones an chemicals n/t

[captain jack]

3. To hell with the management of arizona snowbowl.

[nvme]

5. Renaming it might be in order.

Perhaps the "shitbowl mountain ski slopes" Or the "Assblast trail" Or "Tidybowl Run"