Alaska Natives sue EPA over Pebble mine veto, Northern Dynasty says

Northern Dynasty Minerals

26/06/2024 15:05

June 26 (Reuters) - Northern Dynasty Minerals  NDM.TO 
said on Wednesday two Alaska native village corporations had
sued the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for its veto
against the Canadian miner's proposed Pebble mine in the state's
southwest region. 
    Iliamna Natives Limited and Alaska Peninsula Corporation,
which represent the communities closest to the copper and gold
mining project, sued the EPA for exceeding its authority related
to the veto, Northern Dynasty said in a statement.
    This lawsuit follows the one filed by the company in March
against the EPA's 2023 decision to prohibit the discharge of
mining waste in Alaska's Bristol Bay over concerns the materials
would degrade the watershed and harm vital fishing ecosystems.
    "Those who oppose Pebble have not provided any alternative
that would improve the economy of this area. These two Native
Village Corporations understand that the EPA and our opposition
care little about their future," said John Shively, CEO of the
Pebble project. 
    The EPA, which claims the project would permanently destroy
more than 2,000 acres of wetlands protected by the Clean Water
Act, said it has no further information to provide as it is a
pending litigation.
    The proposed Pebble mine, which aims to tap one of the
world's largest copper and gold deposits, had gone thorough a
lengthy approval and permitting process for decades, but its
construction is yet to start. 

 (Reporting by Sourasis Bose in Bengaluru; Editing by Shreya
Biswas)
 ((Sourasis.Bose@thomsonreuters.com;))