Pebble Mine Denied Corps Permit

The Army Corp of Engineers denied a clean water permit for the proposed Pebble Mine in Bristol Bay Alaska. The denial was a reversal of a previous finding tha the proposed open pit copper and gold mine would not adversely affect the salmon fishing industry in the area. The decision is likely a lethal blow to the project which has survived two administrations and reversals of fortune. Owner Pebble Partnership said it would appeal the discharge permit denial. A salmon industry spokesman said, “Sometimes a project is so bad, so indefensible, that the politics fall to the wayside and we get the right decision. That is what happened today,” Environmental groups now want the Biden administration to impose permanent protection for the Bristol Bay watershed after its fate being legally whip-sawed for a decade. Joe Biden has said he opposses the project, since the sallmon runs that supply half of the world's sockeye salmon are incompatible with a mine discharging toxic wastes. Alaska's Repugnant congressional delegation largely applauded the decision. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) said in a statement, it was “the wrong mine in the wrong place.” Her opposition became clear this summer after tapes were released in which the Pebble CEO can be heard bragging about his close relationship with government officials.