After Over 10 Years of Dispute, Trump Administration Also Denies Approval
Major Republican Supporters and Trump’s Eldest Son Oppose 'Salmon Farm Destruction'
[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has decided not to accept companies' requests for permits to develop and mine a mine on the southern coast of Alaska, which holds the world's largest deposits of gold and copper. This issue, which has been disputed for over a decade, seemed to be reconsidered under the Donald Trump administration but was ultimately rejected as "contrary to the public interest."
According to the New York Times (NYT) and others on the 25th (local time), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers decided not to accept the mining permit request submitted by the mining company Pebble Limited Partnership. Damon Delarosa, the Alaska regional commander of the Corps of Engineers, stated in a press release that mining this mine was deemed "contrary to the public interest" because it does not comply with the federal Clean Water Act.
This issue has been discussed for 13 years. It was outright rejected during the Barack Obama administration but began to be reconsidered after President Trump took office. Since President Trump had shown interest in developing Alaska, there were expectations that the permit might be granted. In July, based on the environmental impact assessment results, it even seemed that the permit was leaning toward approval.
However, key figures who had supported the Republican Party and Donald Trump Jr., the eldest son, actively opposed it due to concerns about damage to nearby fishing grounds. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers also demanded that the companies seeking permits submit new plans, citing insufficient compensation plans for environmental destruction. President-elect Joe Biden has also expressed opposition to this issue.
Pebble Limited Partnership stated that it will review future actions, including requesting reconsideration of this decision. CEO John Shively criticized the decision as "politically influenced," pointing out that the Corps of Engineers had approved the environmental impact assessment earlier this year but suddenly changed its stance.
If the permit had been granted, this mine could have produced 70 million tons of gold, molybdenum?a rare metal?and copper ore. However, this would have severely damaged the red salmon fishing grounds in the Bristol Bay area of Alaska, potentially reducing 10,000 jobs and $1 billion in revenue in the region. Bristol Bay is a salmon spawning ground accounting for half of the world's red salmon catch and a major fishery resource protection area.
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