House Of Representatives Votes To Block Pebble Funding (Updated)
The House or Representatives today agreed today via vote to block Pebble Mine funding.
Here’s more from SalmonState:
ANCHORAGE—The U.S. House of Representatives today voted to block funding for the corrupt process hurtling the underfunded, scientifically lacking Pebble Mine toward “yes” over Tribal, scientific, fisheries and Alaskan objections. The block came in the form of an amendment to the minibus spending package — H.R. 7617 — that defunds a Record of Decision for the proposed Pebble Mine.
“We’re grateful to Rep. Huffman, Reps. DeFazio, Speier, Levin and Rouda, and the U.S. House of Representatives, for standing up for American food security, jobs, people, and Bristol Bay’s irreplaceable way of life,” said SalmonState executive director Tim Bristol. “Bristol Bay provides 14,000 jobs, adds $1.5 billion annually to the U.S. economy, and supplies more than half the world’s sockeye salmon — yet the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been working hand in glove with the Pebble Partnership to speed approval of a massive open-pit gold and copper mine and toxic waste dump at the headwaters of this incredible resource, which more than 55 million sockeye salmon returned to just this year. Two to one, Alaskans hate this project. It’s time for Alaska’s own Congressional Delegation to get off the fence, to defend one of Alaska’s greatest wild salmon resources, and to tell the EPA to use its authority under the Clean Water Act to stop this corrupt process and veto Pebble.”
Updated: United Tribes of Bristol Bay with reaction:
DILLINGHAM, AK – Bristol Bay Tribes celebrated the news that the House of Representatives acted today to help stop the corrupt permitting process that is fast-tracking Pebble’s toxic proposal.
The House of Representatives took action today to stop the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) from issuing a permit for the proposed Pebble Mine in response to the highly scrutinized environmental reviewand politically-motivated and unprecedented timeline.
The amendment to the minibus appropriations bill (H.R. 7617) prevents the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from using its funding to publish a “Record of Decision” (ROD) on the proposed mine. That ROD and Clean Water Act permit is expected this fall, less than three years since the Pebble Limited Partnership submitted its application to mine at the headwaters of Bristol Bay’s world-class fishery. Last week, the Army Corps published the project’s Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), which has quickly been condemned by technical experts as severely lacking in its consideration of the impacts the mine would have on the lands, waters, peoples, fisheries, and existing economy of the region. The amendment to stop this rushed process was sponsored by Reps. Huffman (CA), DeFazio (OR), Speier (CA), Levin (CA) and Rouda (CA).
“Quyana and chin’an to the members of Congress who voted to defend Bristol Bay today,” said UTBB Executive Director Alannah Hurley. “After nearly two decades of working to protect our region from this toxic project, it is heartening to see leadership in Congress stand with us and refuse to allow a foreign mining company to desecrate the national treasure that is our home. Pebble and the Army Corps have ignored and tried to silence the voices of Bristol Bay throughout the permitting process, and we appreciate Congress hearing our pleas to intervene. It’s clear that Pebble has not met any standards in a normal NEPA process and ignored the directive that came from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle last year when they called on the Corps for a more rigorous environmental review. It’s time for Alaska’s Senators to listen to Alaskans and stop Pebble from moving forward.”