Huffman demands EPA move faster to veto Pebble mine

May 11, 2022

California Democratic Rep. Jared Huffman today stood outside the Capitol to call on President Joe Biden’s EPA to quickly veto the Pebble mine in Alaska.

This morning, Huffman, chair of the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Oceans and Wildlife, joined environmental activists, tribal members and fishing advocates in urging EPA to move faster on vetoing the Pebble mine in southwest Alaska's Bristol Bay.

EPA wants to veto Pebble, a decision the agency first reached in 2014 during the Obama years. EPA laid out a schedule in January for a revised version of the 2014 proposed determination to block the project under the Clean Water Act, after new research was conducted on the mine’s environmental implications.

But opponents are concerned the administration's timeline to block the mine may be slower than needed. Huffman has joined other Democrats in writing the administration to hurry up, and activists placed a large TV ad buy (E&E Daily, March 8).

“It’s important right now in this moment to speak with one voice to the EPA, to ask them to finish the job of providing permanent protection for this special place,” Huffman said.

Huffman said that “even though the Biden administration cares about these issues, has the right values and the right priorities,” a change of administration or the winds of politics could hurt the opposition's progress.

“You just can’t afford to leave that to chance. You’ve got to finish the job," Huffman said.


By:  Jael Holzman
Source: E&E News