By Ruhi Soni

(Reuters] -The Biden administration presented a revised proposal to prohibit mining waste from Alaska’s Bristol Bay Watershed. It is a potentially fatal blow to the Pebble Mine project which has been in the works for more than a decade.

This project is one of the largest gold and copper deposits in the world. It has gone through many regulations over the last 15 years. Bristol Bay salmon have supported wildlife and an important multibillion dollar industry.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, (EPA), it requested public feedback on the proposed revision at hearings that took place in June and by writing submissions until July 5. (https://

John Shively, Pebble Limited Partnership’s top boss, described the decision as a major setback for climate change goals of the Biden Administration.

Shively, the chief executive officer of Pebble (NYSE:) Ltd., stated that “The Pebble Project is an important source for minerals for the Biden Administration in order to achieve its energy goals.”

“If Pebble is blocked, it will need to find minerals from other sources to achieve its goals. They simply don’t have the same environmental standards as us.”

In 2014, the EPA proposed limits to large-scale mining within the watershed under former President Barack Obama. This was in response to environmental concerns. The EPA, however, was dismantled by former President Donald Trump. This included the Obama-era initial proposal.

However, the project has been faced with other regulatory obstacles after the Trump Administration’s Army Corps of Engineers denied the key permit to the mine in November 2020. This was due to opposition from Alaska’s Republican senators who wanted the salmon industry, worth $2.2 billion, which employs 15,000 people, to be protected.

Last September, the Biden Administration had restarted the process for permanently protecting the watershed.