“The outgoing Trump administration on Wednesday denied a key permit for Alaska’s Pebble Mine, a controversial project that the Obama administration blocked and that President Donald Trump revived early in his term. In a statement, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said the planned open-pit copper and gold mine in southwest Alaska would violate Clean Water Act guidelines. The proposed project is “contrary to the public interest,” the Corps said. The decision, which the agency said “reflects a regulatory process that is fair, flexible and balanced,” follows an about-face from the Trump administration. In July, the Army Corps concluded the project at the headwaters of Bristol Bay, the most productive sockeye salmon fishery in the world, would have no “measurable” effect on salmon stocks or the watershed. The following month, the administration delayed the permit, saying the project would cause “unavoidable adverse impacts” to the area’s aquatic resources, and gave Pebble Limited Partnership, the company seeking the permit, 90 days to come up with a plan to mitigate the environmental damage. This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
