Corps Denies CWA Permit For Pebble Mine As Contrary To 'Public Interest'

摘要

The Army Corps of Engineers has denied a Clean Water Act (CWA) dredge-and-fill permit for the controversial planned Pebble Mine in Alaska, saying the mine developer's wetlands compensatory mitigation plan did not comply with federal rules and that a Corps review determined "that the project is contrary to the public interest." Environmental and conservation groups that oppose the mine are praising the Corps' decision, as outlined in a Nov. 25 denial letter and Nov. 20 record of decision (ROD). But the organizations are also calling on the incoming Biden administration to use the CWA to place permanent limits on mining in the Bristol Bay watershed, which is the world's largest wild salmon fishery. The Corps' denial follows its request for a compensatory mitigation plan for the project in August where the Corps said it had determined that discharges from the planned gold, copper and molybdenum mine will "cause unavoidable adverse impacts to aquatic resources and, preliminarily, that those adverse impacts would result in significant degradation to those aquatic resources." Northern Dynasty Minerals, the parent company of the Pebble Limited Partnership that is planning to build the mine, submitted its compensatory mitigation plan to the Corps earlier this month and expressed confidence that a CWA permit would be issued.