Pebble

As we’re approaching the end of the EPA’s (extended) public comment period for its revised Bristol Bay Watershed Assessment, the surprises keep piling up. Only a few short days ago, the Washington Post – which is, as we’ve pointed out, not known to be a mouthpiece of the mining industry – came out against a preemptive EPA veto of what could be the largest Copper deposit in U.S. history, the so-called Pebble Deposit in Southwest Alaska.

Now we’re learning that the Center for American Progress (CAP), a left-of-center think tank, is joining the Washington Post in their reasonable position. An article on CAP’s website calls for allowing due process to take its course through the established permitting and review process.

Of course, that does not mean CAP supports the project – in fact, they have made their opposition to the mine quite clear – but their support for the established and rigorous environmental permitting process is a commendable stance for a group that must certainly have faced serious pressure from its usual allies. As American Resources President Daniel McGroarty has pointed out:

“Other groups like the National Resources Defense Council have been shrill and unyielding in their demand for a pre-emptive EPA veto. It must have been tough for the Center for American Progress to sit at the table with them and refuse to support that course of action.”

Calling the National Resources Defense Council’s (NRDC) push “shrill” is by no means an exaggeration. Consider this little gem from NRDC Western Director Joel Reynolds, as quoted in “Environment & Energy Daily” (subscription required):

“We view this [the Pebble Mine] as one of the worst projects anywhere in the world today.”

Really? Anywhere in the world? That is quite a statement when considering the dismal conditions at copper mines in Pakistan, Russia, Iran, Angola, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where child labor or work without proper protective gear are common practice. Reynolds would likely be jailed — or worse — for raising even a peep of protest against major mining projects in any of these countries. Says McGroarty:

“It’s much easier to make these statements from a cushy office on the Santa Monica waterfront. Reynolds would be jailed or worse for raising a peep of protest against major mining projects in any of these countries. This emotional hyperbole has no place in a rational, scientific discussion about the costs and benefits of what could be the largest copper resource in America’s history and a huge boon to the U.S. economy.”

There are still a few days left before the comment period draws to a close, so if you haven’t done so yet, please consider weighing in on this important issue and submit a comment to the EPA via their website.

For your convenience, here are some key facts and links for further information, as well as a sample message.

Washington Post calls issue “the biggest environmental decision…you’ve never heard of…”

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has officially extended the public comment period for its draft Bristol Bay Watershed Assessment – a review released in April in response to calls from anti-mining groups for the EPA to issue a preemptive permit veto under section 404(c) of the Clean Water Act of the Pebble mine project in Alaska.

The Washington Post notes the issue’s importance, which has so far flown largely under the national media’s radar, as potentially “one of the most important environmental decisions the president faces in his second term.”

The situation does indeed deserve greater attention. The Pebble deposit is quite possibly the largest copper resource in American history, and responsible development of it could create tens of thousands of much-needed jobs and billions in economic development. Far more is at stake, though, as a preemptive permit veto prior to the NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) process has never been done. As we have previously pointed out, if this precedent is set, every exploratory domestic resource project in the United States will be at risk, jeopardizing our economic and national security future.

With the comment period extended, please consider weighing in on this important issue and submit a comment to the EPA via their website, if you haven’t done so already.

For your convenience, here are some key facts and links for further information, as well as a sample message.

Pulling a classic Friday afternoon document drop, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its revised draft Bristol Bay Watershed Assessment on Friday afternoon – only two days after tamping down media expectations that the release was imminent. As American Resources President Daniel McGroarty pointed out in an email to journalists on Friday, the flawed assessment [...]

The Daily Caller reports that the EPA’s preemptive assessment of the Pebble copper and gold mine in Alaska could cost the U.S. $220 billion in investment. The agency’s report, based on an evaluation of a hypothetical mine, expresses concern over the site’s potential environmental impact and could lead to Pebble’s rejection before it has a [...]

Sounding the alarm on the possible impact of hypothetical mining — in spite of the fact that no permit application or specific plans have been submitted — the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released a cursory review of the Bristol Bay Watershed in Alaska. The EPA’s unprecedented early action is part of the agency’s effort [...]

American Resources Principal Dan McGroarty appeared on the Lars Larson show and Charles Payne’s PayneNation to discuss the EPA’s latest bid to stop the prospective Pebble Mine in Alaska before the project has a chance to be reviewed. Check out the interviews below.