EPA Final Determination Protects Bristol Bay Salmon Fisheries
A final determination on plans for a proposed mine adjacent to the Bristol Bay watershed in Southwest Alaska released Jan. 31 by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) favors protections for the huge run of wild sockeye salmon and a multi-million-dollar fisheries economy.
The EPA said its determination would protect waters important to sustaining the area’s salmon resources from disposal of dredged or fill materials associated with developing the copper, gold and molybdenum Pebble deposit that a Canadian mining firm wants to develop.
The battle between development to extract these minerals from the deposit abutting the Bristol Bay watershed has been ongoing for two decades.
EPA Administrator Michael Regan said the Bristol Bay watershed is a vital economic driver providing jobs, sus...