EPA Moves Forward to Protect World’s Greatest Wild Sockeye Salmon Fishery
OutdoorHub 07.21.14
On Friday, the EPA made the right call by moving forward with a proposed Clean Water Act determination for how to best protect Bristol Bay, Alaska’s vast salmon-based resources from large-scale development of the Pebble deposit. As you will see from the statements below, the agency is acting at the request of Alaskans, and its approach ensures that Alaska Natives, commercial fishermen, and other industries reliant on Bristol Bay’s billion-dollar economy are one step closer to receiving the economic certainty they have sought for nearly a decade.
As Luki Akelkok, chairman of Nunamta Aulukestai, said: “It’s been a long time coming. We’re happy to see the EPA complete the next major step towards protecting the Bristol Bay salmon fishery. Our culture and economy depend on the long-term health of these salmon runs.”
Far from a preemptive veto, the EPA is taking a conservative approach by placing advance restrictions – based on official company documents filed with the Securities Exchange Commission – on the Pebble deposit. These restrictions significantly limit the impacts that mining development in Bristol Bay would have on its salmon-producing streams, lakes, and wetlands.
The EPA’s approach means that any developer wishing to mine the Pebble deposit must prove that its operations will not have an unacceptable adverse effect on Bristol Bay’s water resources – the very Clean Water Act standards that have been law now for over 40 years. If Pebble can meet these high standards, it is free to proceed to the Army Corps permitting process. The EPA’s decision is clear in this matter.
While we will continue to review the determination and look forward to participating in the upcoming public comment period, it’s clear that Friday’s EPA action is a win for Alaskans and all who cherish Bristol Bay.
Over the next two months, the EPA will accept public comments and hold extensive hearings in the Bristol Bay region, as well as in Anchorage. We expect Alaskans – and all Americans who care about protecting one of our great treasures – to make their voices heard during the process so EPA can quickly finalize its Clean Water Act determination.
