A proposed copper and gold mine that could have caused significant environmental harm to Lake Clark and Katmai National Parks has been blocked by the Environmental Protection Agency. The Clean Water Act was invoked to stop the project. The EPA says it would have caused “unacceptable, adverse” harm to the ecosystem.
“Today’s critical action to protect Alaska’s Bristol Bay affirms the irreplaceable significance of this region, home to the world’s largest sockeye salmon run and Alaska Native communities for time immemorial,” said the National Parks Conservation Association, calling it a “seismic victory.”
Gov. Mike Dunleavy and others were critical of the decision, saying it sets a dangerous precedent regarding the use of Alaska’s resources and will cause harm to the economy.
