Bristol Bay
EPA proposes to withdraw Clean Water Act restrictions for Pebble Mine; 90-day public comment period begins
(July 11, 2017) - The EPA is proposing to withdraw its July 2014 Clean Water Act Proposed Determination that would, if finalized, have imposed restrictions on the discharge of dredged or fill material associated with the potential "Pebble Mine" in Alaska’s Bristol Bay watershed. EPA is seeking public comment by October 17, 2017, on whether to withdraw the Proposed Determination. EPA is consulting on the proposed withdrawal with federally-recognized tribal governments of the Bristol Bay region and with Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act Regional and Village Corporations with lands in the Bristol Bay watershed.
How to comment on EPA's proposal
Federal eRulemaking Portal (recommended method): Visit regulations.gov (docket ID: EPA-R10-OW-2017-0369) and follow the instructions for submitting comments.
Email: ow-docket@epa.gov (reference docket number EPA-R10-OW-2017-0369 in the email subject line).
Mail: Send your comments to - Water Docket, Environmental Protection Agency, Mail Code 28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20460, Attention: Docket ID No. EPA-R10-OW-2017-0369.
Related information
- Read the Federal Register notice
- Read EPA's press release (July 11, 2017)
2017 Settlement Agreement
In May 2017, EPA entered into a settlement agreement with the Pebble Limited Partnership to resolve litigation from 2014 relating to EPA's prior work in the Bristol Bay watershed.
2014 Proposed Determination
In July 2014, EPA Region 10 initiated a process to protect one of the world’s most valuable salmon fisheries, in Bristol Bay, Alaska, from the risks posed by a mine at the Pebble deposit.
- Read the Executive Summary and Proposed Determination
- View all public comments on the proposal (links to docket on regulations.gov)
2014 Bristol Bay Assessment
In January 2014, EPA issued its final assessment of the potential impacts of large-scale mining development on Bristol Bay fisheries and wildlife, and on Alaska Native cultures of the region.
Watershed map
