Pebble Mine Developers Launch Suit To Block EPA's Veto Process

摘要

Developers of the Pebble Mine have filed suit to block EPA's recently launched process that could lead to a novel veto of disposal sites for the planned mine in Alaska's Bristol Bay watershed before a permit has been sought, though the suit will likely face a series of procedural hurdles that could be difficult for the plaintiffs to overcome. The Pebble Limited Partnership (PLP) filed a May 21 complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska charging that EPA's decades-old rule authorizing such vetoes exceeds the scope of the Clean Water Act (CWA) because a permit application has not yet been filed and reviewed by the Army Corps of Engineers.