Former defense secretary to investigate EPA evaluation of Alaska mine proposal

Seriously?

Former defense secretary in the Clinton administration William S. Cohen announced that his firm has been retained by the Pebble Partnership to investigate the EPA's evaluation of their Pebble Mine project.

LINK (via:Watchdog.org)

“The rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated”

There is a misconception out there that the fight against Pebble Mine has been won....nothing could be further from the truth.

Sportsman's Alliance for Alaska Director Scott Hed reminds us that while Pebble may be down, it is certainly not out.

LINK

Help support the cause!

SSA is also currently running an on-line fundraising auction with new donated items being added everyday.

Post should have taken a deeper look at EPA, Bristol Bay and Pebble

Robert Heyano, president of United Tribes of Bristol Bay responds to the Washington Post's recent story on the proposed Pebble Mine.

The Post’s article intimates that the battle over Pebble began with a tribal petition to EPA requesting that it use its authority under the Clean Water Act to prohibit mining in the Bristol Bay watershed. In doing so, the article misses the key reason the tribes submitted the petition in the first place.

LINK (via: Alaska Dispatch News)

EPA becomes target by planning for rare ‘veto’

Photo: Courtesy of the EPA

The Washington Post's Joby Warrick does some heavy lifting for those opposing the EPA's action on the Pebble Mine.

The EPA is doing its job.

Here is the language of section 404c for Mr. Warrick's reference.

The Clean Water Act authorizes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (the Corps) (Section 404(a)) or an approved state (Section 404(h)) to issue  permits for discharges of dredged or fill material at specified sites in waters of the United States. Section 404(c), however, authorizes EPA to restrict, prohibit, deny, or withdraw the use of an area as a disposal site for dredged or fill material if the discharge will have unacceptable adverse effects on municipal water supplies, shellfish beds and fishery areas, wildlife, or recreational areas.

In his article Mr. Warrick falsley states that 404c is a "tactic" that has not been employed in 40 years.

According to the EPA in 2008 they initiated 404c actions on the Yazoo Pumps flood control project in Mississippi and then again in 2009 on the Spruce Mountain Coal Mine #1 in West Virginia. Now I'm no reporter but a simple Google search might have helped Mr. Warrick get his facts straight.

LINK

This fight is far from over folks.

I mean, obviously, there are commercial fishermen that have concerns

According to Pebble Partnership CEO John Shively the Alaska commercial salmon fishery is losing its importance.

As of June 21st there were more than 1.3-million reasons why the Bristol Bay Alaska salmon fishery is still very important.

LINK (via: KDLG)

If you want to see more of Shively in action hit the image above.

Fat Chance

Pebble Partnership funded Nuna Resources mouthpiece Abe Williams attempts to make the case for "giving Pebble a chance" in the Seattle Times. 

LINK

Any op-ed from a representative of Nuna resources is a message from the Pebble Partnership. (pdf)