# Bristol Bay residents press tribal rights concerns in Pebble Mine case

Bristol Bay residents and tribal members are raising concerns about ongoing federal lawsuits that challenge the EPA's veto of the Pebble Mine project, citing threats to treaty rights and the region's salmon fishery.

The EPA issued a Clean Water Act Section 404(c) veto on January 30, 2023, prohibiting development of the proposed copper and gold mine in southwest Alaska. The agency determined the project would cause unacceptable adverse effects on the Bristol Bay watershed, salmon fisheries, and tribal communities.

Northern Dynasty Minerals and Pebble Limited Partnership filed a lawsuit on March 15, 2024, in Alaska federal district court seeking to overturn the veto. The State of Alaska, under Governor Mike Dunleavy, filed a separate challenge.

Bristol Bay Tribes, United Tribes of Bristol Bay, Bristol Bay Native Corporation, Bristol Bay Economic Development Corporation, Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association, and commercial fishers filed a motion to intervene on May 17, 2024, to defend the EPA's decision.

The veto marks only the third time in 30 years that the EPA has used its Clean Water Act authority to prohibit a project. Pebble's owners are also seeking compensation exceeding $700 billion in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.

Tribal leaders emphasize the stakes for more than 25 Native villages in the region. Bristol Bay supports the world's largest sockeye salmon fishery, which sustains more than 7,000 jobs and generates over $2 billion in annual economic value.

Alannah Hurley, executive director of United Tribes of Bristol Bay, said in a March 2024 press release that the lawsuits disregard the will of Bristol Bay residents who have opposed the mine for decades.

The proposed mine site sits at the headwaters of the Bristol Bay watershed, which produces nearly half of the world's wild sockeye salmon. Commercial fishers in communities like Dillingham depend on the fishery for their livelihoods.

Tribal groups argue the mine would threaten treaty rights to fish and hunt in traditional areas. The Bristol Bay Native Association and local fishers have joined the legal effort to preserve EPA protections.

Northern Dynasty and the State of Alaska contend the EPA veto represents unlawful federal overreach. Mine proponents argue the project would create jobs and generate revenue for Alaska.

The federal court case continues in Alaska, with tribal intervenors working alongside the EPA to defend the 2023 veto. The outcome will determine whether the proposed mine can proceed or whether protections for the Bristol Bay watershed remain in place.