Bristol Bay Waypoints: May 22, 2014

Statement Regarding Pebble's EPA Lawsuit

Today, the Pebble Limited Partnership filed a lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency. Here is news coverage of that development.

Statement from the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association, May 22, 2014

Today’s lawsuit from the Pebble Limited Partnership (PLP) comes as no surprise. This is more of the same from a company with no mining experience and a bad project. Instead of working with the EPA or submitting its long-awaited official permit applications, Pebble has chosen to file a Hail Mary lawsuit in hopes of further delaying EPA's public process.
 
Pebble’s lawsuit does not change the facts about their proposed project, nor indicate that they have made any headway whatsoever in addressing the scientific findings found in EPA's Watershed Assessment. The Pebble deposit still sits on top of one of the world’s most productive and valuable fisheries. The nation's largest open-pit mine - along with ten billion tons of toxic waste - still cannot co-exist with our amazingly productive salmon nursery. And EPA's 404(c) process does nothing to prevent Pebble from submitting plans and permits - which they still have not done. These are the facts PLP should be addressing, instead of continuing their strategy of delay and distraction.

A $1.5 billion economy and 14,000 jobs rely on Bristol Bay and its clean water. These jobs are threatened by the very existence of the proposed Pebble Mine, and PLP has done nothing to alleviate that threat.

Through EPA's public, scientific process, we have a clear picture of the damage any mine the size and scale of Pebble would have in Bristol Bay. Now we need clear protections for this valuable fishery. We encourage the EPA to continue to let existing law and solid science guide its decision-making process – not baseless lawsuits.
 
Sue Aspelund, Executive Director
Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association
(360) 927-4295   ---  sue@bbrsda.com