EPA Formally Blocks Pebble Mine

Photo: Wilson Hui/Flickr

The EPA blocked the Pebble project by citing a rule under its Clean Water Act that allows the agency to ban the disposal of mining waste in parts of the Bristol Bay watershed. This effectively blocks the mine from ever happening, should the EPA decision hold. The Bristol Bay area is home to the world’s largest runs of sockeye salmon, and it supports an immense, diverse ecosystem that could be irreparably damaged if a mining project were allowed to develop.

The Pebble mine has been a possibility for over two decades, according to The New York Times. It’s likely that Pebble will appeal this decision, although it’s not currently clear how such an appeal would play out in court. To date, only three similar determinations made under the Clean Water Act have happened in the past 30 years, per the Times. 

To read more about this monumental decision, click here.