Salmon fishermen are among many groups in Alaska upset by the EPA’s announcement that the Pebble Limited Partnership can now file for a mining permit in Bristol Bay, in the southwestern part of the state. The decision settles a lawsuit filed by the company in 2014 after the Obama EPA proposed barring federal mining permits in the area—one of the largest untapped sources of gold and copper in the world.
Fishermen, environmentalists, and Alaska Native groups have argued that the mining operation would imperil the region’s valuable sockeye salmon fishery.
“Mining advocates say the gold alone is worth more than $300 billion, and that the federal government should allow the process to advance without early intervention from the EPA. Mine companies have already spent roughly $800 million on the project,” says Alaska Dispatch News.
EPA chief Scott Pruitt explained that his agency is determined to allow the permitting process to advance, but said there are no guarantees that the mine will ultimately be approved. The Pebble Limited Partnership has tried to reassure critics with promises of a smaller mine footprint, more environmental safeguards, and increased benefits for Alaska residents, says Alaska Dispatch. Investors pulled out of the project in 2013, so the company will need to find new funding, which could stall progress for years.