The controversial Pebble Mine development has new opponents, with major retailers, companies and business leaders calling on the US Army Corps of Engineers to suspend its federal permitting process.
Among the signers of the letter are Whole Foods, clothing giant Patagonia, outfitter Orvis and PCC Community Markets.
“Given the ecological sensitivity of the Bristol Bay watershed, it deserves the most rigorous, science-based environmental impact assessment possible. Anything less jeopardizes the economic stability of our industries and bottom lines," the letter stated.
"The [National Environmental Policy Act] process was created to ensure transparency and protection of the American public, especially in places like Bristol Bay that provide irreplaceable public goods and benefits. The undersigned businesses ask that the Army Corps restart its review of the Pebble Partnership’s permit application and hold this project to the highest bar.”
The US Army Corps of Engineers' (USACE) has fast-tracked a draft environmental impact statement on the impacts of Alaska's Pebble Mine, which will likely result in "irreparable damage to the consumer perception of Bristol Bay salmon," the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association (BBRSDA) recently said.