Developer of Alaska's Pebble mine files appeal over permit rejection

Northern Dynasty Minerals

22/01/2021 24:51

Jan 21 (Reuters) - Diversified Canadian miner Northern
Dynasty Minerals Ltd  NDM.TO  said on Thursday its U.S.
subsidiary Pebble Limited Partnership has filed an appeal with
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) over its decision to
deny a key water permit for the contentious Pebble Mine in
Alaska.
    The USACE denied the Clean Water Act permit in November
because the plan submitted by the Pebble Limited Partnership
detailing how it would handle the project's waste in the
ecologically sensitive area did not comply with guidelines.
 urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N2IB25U
    The mine, one of the world's largest copper and gold
deposits, has been through a roller coaster of regulation over
the past 13 years. The denial of the permit had put the
project's future in doubt. 
    "Additional details about the Pebble Partnership's RFA
(request for appeal) submission will be released in the days and
weeks ahead," Northern Dynasty Minerals said on Thursday.
    The administration of former President Donald Trump had
moved closer in July to approving the mine's permit, reversing a
decision by his predecessor Barack Obama.
    But a prominent group of Republicans, including Trump's son
Donald Trump Jr., had publicly voiced opposition, saying the
mine would destroy areas of good fishing and hunting.
    Pebble Mine Partnership Chief Executive John Shively said at
the time of the permit's denial that the decision was political
and that the project had included necessary safeguards.
    

 (Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Stephen
Coates)
 ((Kanishka.Singh@thomsonreuters.com; +91 8061822801;))