Pebble Opponents Fight for Bristol Bay, Vast Store of Gold and Molybdenum

In early May 2022, Chief Thomas Tilden of the Curyung Tribal Council, a representative of the Confederated Tribes of Bristol Bay, spoke at a press conference in Washington, D.C., about the Pebble deposit, a vast deposit of minerals such as copper, gold, and molybdenum, located in headwaters of the Bay.

For nearly two decades, activists from the region and around the country have been working to stop an open-pit mine from being built there. This month, they hope the EPA will take a step toward long-term protection of the project. Representatives of the Bristol Bay Confederated Tribes and Commercial Fishermen recently met with members of Congress and the Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, D.C., to make a request to permanently stop the development of the pebble deposit under the Clean Water Act.

At a news conference in front of the U.S. Capitol, UTBB representative Thomas Tilden, chief of the Curyung Tribal Council, said they came to ask the feds to use their authority to protect salmon from the mine's threats.

He said, "Our salmon is just not our salmon, we are people that live on the land and I believe that we are protectors of that salmon. Because that salmon belongs to America. Fifty percent of America's salmon come from our waters. These waters are pristine and rich in nutrients, and that's what nourishes the salmon." Tilden and others have worked so hard to demand protection for Bristol Bay because the EPA is expected to take the next step in the veto process against Pebble by the end of this month.

Section 404 of the Clean Water Act is the federal law that governs the development of the nation's wetlands and waterways. If it is determined that Bristol Bay, which is rich in copper, gold, and molybdenum, would cause "unacceptable" harm to water supplies, wildlife habitats, or recreational areas, the EPA can use a provision of the law to veto development in these wetlands.

In the next two weeks, the EPA will issue a preliminary recommendation on how to restrict or deny mining of the pebble deposit. This is known as the proposed decision will have a public comment period. Then, the EPA's regional administrator recommends whether to move forward with a veto, and the Army Corps and the project applicant have 15 days to take corrective action. Finally, the administrator will act on the recommendation and publish it in the Federal Register.

Rep. Jared Huffman, a California Democrat who said he joined the Alaska Coalition and told the EPA to stop the development of similar pebble deposits, said, "Government can change, politics can change. So, something that's so critical to the economy of Alaska, to Bristol Bay, and to the way of life of the people of Alaska, you can't leave it to chance."

• < Prev
• Next >