Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Murray, Cantwell Praise EPA Move On Pebble Mine Project

Washington's U.S. senators are praising a decision by the Environmental Protection Agency for starting a process that could potentially restrict the development of proposed gold-and-copper mine in southwest Alaska.

The EPA on Friday asked Alaska and those behind the proposed Pebble Mine to make their case for the project.

An EPA report in January that found large-scale mining in the Bristol Bay watershed posed significant risk to salmon.

The Democratic senators, Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray, say the proposed mine could have devastating impacts on the Pacific Northwest fishing industry. Thousands of Washington state jobs are tied to Bristol Bay salmon fishing.

Other Democratic members of the state's congressional delegation also have urged the EPA to protect the salmon fishery from potential mining pollution.

Pebble supporters had worried about the EPA move, which could result in the agency blocking the project, even before it gets to the permitting phase.

 

The Associated Press (“AP”) is the essential global news network, delivering fast, unbiased news from every corner of the world to all media platforms and formats. On any given day, more than half the world’s population sees news from the AP. Founded in 1846, the AP today is one of the largest and most trusted sources of independent newsgathering. The AP considers itself to be the backbone of the world’s information system, serving thousands of daily newspaper, radio, television, and online customers with coverage in text, photos, graphics, audio and video.