Bristol Bay Tribes celebrated today's news that the Environmental Protection Agency has set a timeline for considering permanent protections for the region. The agency today announced the timeline for resuming its process to review potential Clean Water Act 404(c) protections for Bristol Bay.

The Bristol Bay Defense Fund launched a new comprehensive digital and TV ad campaign urging the Environmental Protection Agency to “finish the job” of protecting Bristol Bay before the start of the next fishing season.

In a critical step forward in providing permanent protection to the Bristol Bay watershed and vetoing the Pebble Mine, the Federal District Court officially cleared the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reinitiate the Clean Water Act 404(c) process that would allow the agency to protect Bristol Bay.

Bristol Bay Tribes and communities celebrated today’s announcement that the Environmental Protection Agency will resume work on permanent protections for the Bristol Bay watershed that could safeguard the region from mines like the Pebble project.

On the anniversary of President Barack Obama’s visit to Bristol Bay, United Tribes of Bristol Bay submitted approximately 3,500 comments to the Environmental Protection Agency, asking they use Clean Water Act authority to permanently protect the region from mines like Pebble. Those letters come after about 125,000 letters were sent by supporters in the state and nation so far this year.

In a letter sent to Administrator Regan in late July, UTBB asked the agency to officially reopen the 2014 Obama-Biden Clean Water Act Section 404(c) process to permanently protect the area from the proposed Pebble Mine, a process that was arbitrarily halted during the Trump Administration.

“Today's news highlights the urgent need for the Environmental Protection Agency to enact 404(c) protections to permanently remove the looming threat of large-scale hard rock mines like Pebble. While we celebrate the record-breaking salmon returns, our fishery remains in grave danger until the Biden Administration finishes the job to permanently protect Bristol Bay."

“As decision makers in Washington D.C. consider protections for our region, it is crucial that they hear firsthand from the people whose way of life is threatened by the proposed Pebble Mine,” said United Tribes of Bristol Bay Executive Director Alannah Hurley. “This campaign shares what is at stake in this fight and will help them understand our urgent need for lasting protections that protect our traditional Native way of life and livelihoods for generations to come. Bristol Bay has had the cloud of Pebble hanging over our region for almost two decades, and it’s time for decision makers to veto the Pebble Mine once and for all.”

Janet McCabe’s nomination is a hopeful sign that this Administration will honor its obligation to listen to our Tribes, conduct government-to-government consultation in good faith, and work with us to protect our home and our waters from the threat of large-scale hard rock mines. We urge Sen. Murkowski and all those who share that commitment to protect Bristol Bay to confirm her nomination as Deputy Administrator swiftly.

Tribes, fishermen and Alaskans have voiced extensive concerns over the Dunleavy Administration’s efforts to unduly restrict the rights of Alaskans in holding water reservations to protect our fisheries and water-dependent ways of life.

We look forward to having an EPA Administrator who will listen to Bristol Bay's Tribes and communities and work with us to protect our lands and waters for future generations.

News that the Pebble Limited Partnership (PLP) filed an unfounded appeal of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) permit denial is just the latest in a long saga of the company’s disgraceful attempts to push their unwanted toxic mine on Bristol Bay.