Trump EPA preserves Obama-era rule against Alaska mine proposal

27 Jan, 2018 04:39

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt announced Friday that the agency will keep in place 2014 protections set forth by President Barack Obama, which have stopped the development of a large gold and copper mine known as the Pebble Mine in Alaska’s Bristol Bay watershed. The decision comes after a months-long review. Pruitt stated that the EPA will leave the protections intact until the agency “receives more information on the potential mine’s impact on the region’s world-class fisheries and natural resources.” Pruitt added that the “EPA believes the risk to Bristol Bay may be unacceptable.”