EPA makes final determination on Pebble Mine in the Clean Water Protection Act

• News Home
• More from News of the North

Tuesday, January 31st, 2023 9:32am

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Messenger
• Share on Messenger
• Share on Twitter
• Share on Whatsapp

Washington, D.C. (KINY) - Today the EPA published its final determination regarding the development of Pebble Mine in the Clean Water Act effectively vetoing the project.

Representative Peltola (D-Alaska) joined hundreds of organizations in celebrating the Environmental Protection Agency's decision to use a Section 404C Final Determination of the Clean Water Act to protect Bristol Bay and prevent the development of the proposed Pebble Mine.

"Rebuilding our salmon runs and protecting our fish was the number one reason I decided to run for Congress,” Representative Peltola said. “Today, the EPA listened to Alaskans and helped us do just that. Protecting Bristol Bay, and the world’s largest sockeye salmon fishery, has been a bipartisan effort from the very beginning. After decades of regulatory uncertainty, I hope that this ruling gives the people who live and work in Bristol Bay the stability and peace of mind they deserve and the confidence that this incredible salmon run will no longer be threatened. I also understand that some Alaskans might be disappointed by this decision. To all of you, know that I am committed to our state’s development and to helping local communities build robust economies with good-paying jobs.”

Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, both R-Alaska, weighed in with their thoughts on the EPA's decision.

“EPA’s final determination should mark the end of Pebble, which was already rejected by the agency in 2020 and does not have the access, permits, financing, public support, or disposal sites needed to proceed," Senator Murkowski said. "As Senator Stevens once said, it is the ‘wrong mine in the wrong place,’ and does not deserve to move forward—for good reason."

"To be clear: I oppose Pebble. To be equally clear: I support responsible mining in Alaska, which is a national imperative," Senator Murkowski said. "This determination must not serve as precedent to target any other project in our state and must be the only time EPA ever uses its veto authority under the Clean Water Act in Alaska."

"I opposed the Pebble Mine following the Trump administration’s thorough, fair, and objective process—based on science—which ultimately denied Pebble’s permit application,” Senator Sullivan said. “The Trump administration denial was based on the law and the specific and detailed project application in front of the federal agencies, and the importance of the world-class salmon resource that exists in the region.

“Today, the Biden administration is doing something different—using a pre-emptive veto, which raises serious legal questions and has the potential to establish a very troubling precedent for resource development on State of Alaska lands. Since my time as Alaska’s attorney general, I have consistently argued that the EPA does not have the authority to subvert the permitting process and pre-emptively veto this, or any, project in Alaska. I pressed the EPA administrator to acknowledge that today’s EPA decision does not set a precedent for other major mining and resource projects in Alaska, which he did publicly today. I encourage other Alaska elected leaders to join me in holding the entire Biden administration to this public commitment.”

Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy expressed similar thoughts as those said by Senator Sullivan that the EPA's 'veto' of the project sets a dangerous precedent.

“EPA’s veto sets a dangerous precedent. Alarmingly, it lays the foundation to stop any development project, mining or non-mining, in any area of Alaska with wetlands and fish-bearing streams,” Governor Dunleavy said. “My Administration will stand up for the rights of Alaskans, Alaska property owners, and Alaska’s future.”

"The State of Alaska has a responsibility to develop its resources to provide for itself and its people,” Governor Dunleavy said. “Alaska does resource development better than any other place on the planet, and our opportunities to show the world a better way to extract our resources should not be unfairly preempted by the federal Government.”

More from News of the North

• Former Alaska State Trooper convicted of Attempted Sexual Abuse of a Minor in the Second Degree

  Anchorage, Alaska (KINY) - Former Alaska State Trooper Vance Peronto was convicted Friday of one count of attempted abuse of a minor in the second degree.

• The State intervenes in federal lawsuits that challenge Willow Project and opposes effort to stop construction

  Anchorage, Alaska (KINY) - The state of Alaska filed to intervene Thursday and Friday in lawsuits that challenge the recent federal approval of the Willow Project, an oil development, estimated to produce more than 600 million barrels over 30 years and is described as the largest project in size and scale to be developed on the North Slope in more than 20 years.

• Indigenous artists help skateboarding earn stamp of approval

  PHOENIX (AP) - Years ago, skateboarding was branded as a hobby for rebels or stoners in city streets, schoolyards and back alleys. Those days are long gone.

• Sitka Police Department makes drug arrest, seizes cocaine street valued at $24,140

  Sitka, Alaska (KINY) - Michael Souza was arrested on two felony counts of Misconduct Involving a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree and one count of Misconduct Involving a Controlled Substance in the Fifth Degree.

• 2 face charges in death of Alaska man after online post

  Klawock, Alaska (AP) - Two southeast Alaska men face charges in the beating death of a man who was attacked because of a social media post, according to an investigator's affidavit.

• Fatal fire in Fairbanks claims one life

  Fairbanks, Alaska (KINY) - On Friday, Mar. 24, at 11:07 a.m., Fairbanks Emergency Communication Center received an emergency call reporting a structure fire in the 300 block of Bonnifield Street.

• Juneau School District gives response to scam

  Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Superintendent Bridget Weiss with the Juneau School District joined Action Line to talk about a variety of topics.

• Senate Rules Committee Introduces Legislation to Fix Flaws in Alaska’s Oil Tax Structure

  Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - The Senate Rules Committee introduced legislation today to fix several flaws in Alaska’s oil tax structure. Senate Bill 114 would level the playing field by having all oil producers pay the same corporate income tax rate as corporations at 9.4%. This would only apply after the first $4 million in annual net income.

• Skagway preparing for its biggest cruise season yet

  Skagway, Alaska (KINY) - Jaime Bricker joined Dano on KINY's Morning Show to give a historic update on Skagway's cruise port.

• ConocoPhillips details gas leak cause, remedies at hearing

  Anchorage, Alaska (AP) - ConocoPhillips, which last week received U.S. government approval for the massive Willow oil drilling project in Alaska, detailed reasons for a natural gas leak at another North Slope field that prompted the evacuation of 300 employees last year.

• Anchorage man sentenced to 21 years for role in multistate drug trafficking organization

  Anchorage, Alaska (KINY) - A federal District Court judge sentenced an Anchorage man to 21 years imprisonment followed by six years of supervised release on March 22, 2023, for his role in a drug trafficking organization that spanned multiple states

• New revenue estimate for Willow project presents rosier picture for Alaska treasury

  Juneau, Alaska (Alaska Beacon) - Changed assumptions about tax credits, oil prices and other factors result in an estimate of early cash losses over a shorter period than was previously predicted