Earlier this month, the Congressional Western Caucus led a coalition of Members of Congress and Stakeholders to call on EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt to reverse a pre-emptive veto of the Pebble Mine project in Alaska.

The veto stopped the project before it had formally applied to begin the permitting process — a unilateral expansion of EPA powers under section 404(c) of the Clean Water Act.  Mr. Pruitt had originally stated he would reverse the decision and restore due process — but then abruptly changed course earlier this year.

Said Daniel McGroarty, principal of ARPN, which is also a signatory of the letter:

“With the growing recognition that the U.S. is dangerously dependent on foreign supply for scores of critical minerals and metals, the need for a predictable permitting process has never been greater. The pre-emptive veto of the Pebble Project casts a chilling effect over resource development in the U.S.  As the letter says, to allow a pre-emptive veto to stand is ‘contrary to the spirit of our environmental protection laws, to due process, and to basic fairness.”  

To read the full letter, and other stakeholder statements on the issue, click here.