Businesses welcome decision by Army Corps to delay Pebble Mine permitting process and call on EPA to veto Pebble
Juneau, AK - Businesses around the country welcomed the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ announcement on Monday that it would not be making a final Record of Decision for the Pebble Mine in Bristol Bay until the Pebble Limited Partnership submits a compensatory mitigation plan, which is required to offset “unavoidable adverse impacts to aquatic resources.” In the Army Corps’ letter to the Pebble Partnership requesting a compensatory mitigation plan, they cite that Pebble’s mine site will result in the loss of 2,825 acres of wetlands, 133 acres of open waters, and 130 miles of streams and that discharge at the mine site would cause “significant degradation” to Bristol Bay’s aquatic resources.
“A healthy economy depends on a healthy environment, which is why we’re grateful that the Army Corps has decided to tap the brakes on this toxic project and hold the Pebble Limited Partnership accountable,” said John Connelly, President of National Fisheries Institute. “It’s reassuring to see the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers acknowledge the undeniable fact that the Pebble Mine would cause substantial harm to Bristol Bay’s world-class salmon fishery and that the two simply cannot coexist.”
“While today’s decision is a step in the right direction, Bristol Bay and the 14,000 jobs dependent upon it remain vulnerable to being destroyed by the Pebble Mine,” said Ben Bulis, President and Chief Executive Officer of the American Fly Fishing Trade Association. “Now that the Administration has recognized that the Pebble Mine would have devastating environmental consequences for Bristol Bay, the only logical next step is for the EPA to veto this project. Doing so not only protects America’s greatest salmon fishery for future generations, but also provides economic stability for American businesses that depend on Bristol Bay’s clean water and healthy salmon runs.”
###
Businesses for Bristol Bay is a national coalition of companies and business leaders united in advancing the protection of Bristol Bay’s future sustainability and productivity.
