EPA proposes restrictions in fight over Alaska mine

By BECKY BOHRER
Associated Press

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is proposing restrictions that would block plans for a copper and gold mine in Alaska’s Bristol Bay region. It is the latest in a long-running dispute over efforts by developers to advance the mine in a region known for its salmon runs. Critics of the mine called the EPA’s proposal an important step. But the CEO of the Pebble Limited Partnership called it a political maneuver and a preemptive effort to veto the project that Pebble is pursuing. The Pebble partnership is also appealing a 2020 decision from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers denying approval of a key permit for the project.