Judge James Alan Soto was appointed to his position by our previous US president, who was decidedly anti-mining.  He is a Democrat.  While politics should not be a consideration in law, it certainly is.  Moreover, Judge Soto is from Nogales, AZ, meaning that he drives by the Santa Rita Mountains every time he visits Tucson.  They are on the right side of that valley leading to Tucson.  To his left is a collection of some of the largest mines in the state.  While not as bad now, he probably remembers that view as less pleasant than it is now.  What I am suggesting is that Judge Soto is very likely to hold a bias in favor of preserving the Santa Rita's from a mega-mine, as do the Tucsonians, the most Leftist of all voters in Arizona, and who live within view of those mountains.

As I pointed out with this Judge's first ruling in the case, I would expect the Supreme Court to overrule him, though the time and expense of getting there will be hurtful to many.

Also, I would not expect nearly the same kind of public resistance to mining in Cochise County (wherein lies Hay Mountain) as there is in the western part of the state around Tucson.  The population in Cochise County is generally pro-mining.  Besides, given there are more than several district judges in the area, the odds are low that the same judge would be involved should Hay Mountain garner the same kind of resistance as Rosemont.  

While Rosemont is a concern to all in the mining industry, that level of concern varies by location.   Hay Mountain is not Rosemont in this regard. 

VP in AZ