The group wants Congress to pass laws
protecting the region. “We’ve learned the
hard way over the last decade that Pebble is
not truly dead until protections are finalized,”
Carscallen said.
In July, the Corps of Engineers released an
environmental review that the mine developer
saw as laying the groundwork for key federal
approvals. The review said that under normal
operations, Pebble Mine “would not be expected
to have a measurable effect on fish numbers and
result in long-term changes to the health of the
commercial fisheries in Bristol Bay.”
However, in August, the corps said it had
determined that discharges at the mine site
would cause “unavoidable adverse impacts to
aquatic resources” and laid out required steps to
reduce those effects.
Canada-based Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd.,
which owns Pebble Limited Partnership, said it
had submitted a mitigation plan on Nov. 16.
Even if the corps had approved the project,
there was still no guarantee it would have been
built. It would have needed state approval,
and President-elect Joe Biden has expressed
opposition to the project.
Critics saw Pebble Mine as getting a lifeline
under the Trump administration. Last year, the
Environmental Protection Agency withdrew
restrictions on development that were proposed
— but never finalized — under the Obama
administration and said it planned to work with
the corps to address concerns.
However, Trump’s eldest son was among those
who voiced opposition earlier this year. AfterImage: Carl Johnson