House Democrats fault Biden EPA's approach to Pebble mine

Advocates have accused the agency of foot-dragging on ending the Alaska project.

March 08, 2022

House Democrats opposed to the Pebble mine in Alaska are upset with the Biden administration over what they view as foot-dragging at EPA on plans to veto the project.

Thirteen Democrats, led by Rep. Jared Huffman of California, chair of the Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Oceans and Wildlife, wrote to EPA yesterday saying they were disappointed that the agency would be, as they put it, restarting the Clean Water Act review process and not resuming one halted under the Trump administration.

"We ask that the EPA move swiftly and thoroughly with this restarted process and reinstate science-based protections for this irreplaceable ecosystem as soon as possible," the letter stated.

Some environmental groups and Alaska Native advocates have complained about the decision and consider it a needless delay. EPA had first proposed vetoing the Pebble mine — which would extract copper and gold — in 2014, citing concerns about negative impacts to the surrounding pristine fisheries and ecosystems (Greenwire, Feb. 3).

However, more studies have been done of the mine and its implications since the original veto proposal and its reversal under the Trump administration. When Biden's EPA reaffirmed its desire to veto Pebble earlier this year, the agency declined to address activist concerns about timing but did note that "substantial volume of new information" was now available (Greenwire, Jan. 28).

Echoing those concerns, the lawmakers stated that EPA was wrong to revise the proposed veto as opposed to proceeding with a veto initiated in 2014 under Obama, describing the move as a "restart."

"We are disappointed in the delay that restarting this process will cause," the letter reads, "and now encourage EPA to complete its efforts under section 404(c) of the Clean Water Act as expeditiously as possible and finalize permanent measures to protect Bristol Bay for current and future generations."

 

 


By:  Jael Holzman
Source: E&E Daily