Statement: EPA’s use of Clean Water Act to restore protections to Bristol Bay will protect wildlife and outdoor spaces

Proposed mine that would have destroyed more than 2,800 acres of fragile wetlands will be effectively blocked

Environment America

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will use the Clean Water Act to protect the area’s waters from contamination coming from the proposed Pebble Mine according to reports. This action will basically prevent the mine’s development for at least the duration of this administration.

The prospective mine has been the subject of controversy for years and has been opposed by commercial and recreational fishermen as well as local businesses, environmentalists and such Alaskan elected officials as Sen. Lisa Murkowski. If allowed to go forward, the project would have irreversibly damaged wetlands and streams, disrupting a fragile ecosystem. 

Environment America’s Alaska Organizer Dyani Chapman issued the following statement:

“This decision will deliver a massive safeguard for salmon and the other wildlife that depend on the wetlands and streams in the area. With this action, the EPA will prevent what would have been catastrophic damage from one of the largest mining operations in the world. We look forward to the Biden administration finalizing these protections so that the wildlife and communities near Bristol Bay can continue to safely enjoy clean water.”