Biden Administration makes revised proposal to protect key Alaska watershed

Northern Dynasty Minerals

25/05/2022 16:37

May 25 (Reuters) - The Biden administration made a revised
proposal on Wednesday to ban the disposal of mining waste in
Alaska's Bristol Bay watershed, dealing a potential death blow
to the contentious Pebble Mine project that has been pursued for
over a decade.
    The project, one of the world's largest copper and gold
deposits, has been through a roller coaster of regulations for
the past 15 years as Bristol Bay's salmon has supported
important wildlife and a multibillion-dollar industry.
    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said in a
statement it is seeking public comments on the revised proposal
at hearings in June as well as by written submissions through
July 5. (https://bit.ly/3lG2tQs)
    The Pebble Limited Partnership and its parent company
Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd  NDM.TO  did not immediately
respond to Reuters' requests for comment.
    Under former U.S. President Barack Obama, the EPA in 2014
proposed limits on large-scale mining in the watershed, citing
environmental concerns. But under former President Donald Trump,
the EPA had dismantled scores of environmental rules, including
the initial proposal from the Obama administration.
    The project, however, has faced other regulatory hurdles,
after the Army Corps of Engineers, under the Trump
administration, denied a key permit for the mine in November
2020 following opposition by Alaska's Republican senators
seeking to protect the $2.2 billion salmon industry that employs
15,000 people.
    In September last year, the Biden administration had
re-launched the process to permanently protect the watershed.

 (Reporting by Ruhi Soni in Bengaluru; Editing by Krishna
Chandra Eluri)
 ((Ruhi.Soni@thomsonreuters.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ruhithere))