A watchdog from the Department of Defense and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will consider assessing the Trump administration’s move to track the proposed Pebble Mine in Alaska following congressional requests on Monday.
House Speaker of House Review and Reform Carolyn Maloney
Carolyn Bosher MaloneyState says it will be removed by reporting on watchdogs OVERWHELMING ENERGY: Watchdog to weigh probe of Trump progress on Pebble Mine | Interior finalizes public lands HQ moves West over objection to Congress | EPA to give back methane: Watchdog reports to weigh probe of Pebble Mine MORE Trump administration’s progress (DN.Y.) and reps. Jackie Speier
Karen (Jackie) Lorraine Jacqueline SpeierOVERNIGHT ENERGY: Watchdog to venture probe into Trump progress on Pebble Mine | Interior finalizes public lands HQ moves West over objection to Congress | EPA to give back methane: Watchdog reports to weigh probe on progress by Trump administration Pebble Mine Congress must implement plan to keep government workers safe (D-Caliph.) En Harley Rouda
Harley Edwin RoudaOVERNIGHT ENERGY: Watchdog to venture probe into Trump progress on Pebble Mine | Interior finalizes public lands HQ moves West over objection to Congress | EPA to Release Methane: Watchdog Reports to Prove Probe of Trump Administration’s Pebble Mine How to Combat Substance Abuse During COVID-19 MORE (D-Caliph.) wrote to Defense Department Inspector General Sean O’Donnell, who also serves as EPA watchdog, and Army Inspector General Leslie Smith who are asking for an investigation into a recent assessment that the proposed mines would not have a significant impact on a nearby salmon fishing.
She also wrote to O’Donnell at the EPA asking him to look into reversing that agency of an Obama administration decision to preemptively veto the Pebble Mine.
Spokesmen for O’Donnell with both the EPA and the Pentagon confirmed that he would review the requests.
The Army Corps last month published an environmental impact assessment of the proposed Alaska copper and gold mine, bringing it one step closer to construction.
The proposed project is controversial because of its proximity to the Bristol Bay area, the largest commercial region of sockeye salt production in the world.
The Army Corps stated that “there would be no measurable change in the number of salmon returned” and that the project “would not be expected to have a measurable effect on fish numbers and result in long term changes to the health of commercial fisheries. in Bristol Bay. ”
It has said the mine is likely to affect between 2,226 and 2,261 acres of wetlands and other waters, including between 104.1 and 105.8 miles of streams.
In Monday’s letter, Democratic lawmakers, who all serve on the House oversight and reform committee, raised concerns about the timeline and the depth of the findings.
“The committee is worried that the army corps will speed up the Clean Water Act tastean en [National Environmental Policy Act] assessment process at the expense of an in-depth scientific review. “It seems that this timeline is unfavorable for a hard rock mine of this scale, complexity, and potential regional and state environmental, social and economic effects – especially during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic,” the lawmakers wrote.
“Even more worrying is that despite repeated pleas and requests from federal, state, local, and tribal cooperating agencies and stakeholders for a more comprehensive evaluation process, it appears that the Army Corps has issued a comprehensive scientific review in consideration of a accelerated permitting timeline, ”she added.
The EPA proposed under the Obama administration a permit for the mine to be preemptively vetoed. The Trump administration that action back last year.
Rouda, Speier and Maloney on Monday asked O’Donnell to consider whether the reversal was supported by scientific findings, whether it was influenced by industry or lobbyists, and whether concerns were raised by agents.
Mike Heatwole, a spokeswoman for the Pebble Limited Partnership, said in an email that the company welcomed a review of a project, but also said it would be “baseless”.
“The review was thorough and transparent,” Heatwole said of the Army Corps’ assessment. “In addition, our review was made more efficient as we escaped the project by making it smaller, eliminating rock debris, getting rid of cyanide, redesigning the adaptation facilities to reduce water storage, and much more.”
Some supporters of the administration, including the president’s son Donald Trump
Donald John TrumpTeachers Union launches 0K ad purchase and calls for education funding in relief FDA pledges ‘we will not cut corners’ on coronavirus vaccine Let’s protect our values COVID-19 liability MAY Jr., have recently come out against the Pebble Mine, quoted about concerns about the nearby Bristol Bay.
Immediately afterwards, the president himself arrived promised to look at “both sides” of the issue.
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