Corps takes first step in Pebble mine permit process

The Army Corps of Engineers has released its draft environmental impact statement (EIS) for the closely-watched Pebble Mine project near Bristol Bay, AK, its first formal step toward granting or denying a Clean Water Act (CWA) permit for the massive hard-rock mine that the Obama EPA sought to block through a novel, preemptive permit “veto.” The Corps published its draft EIS on Feb. 20, providing its preliminary assessment of the potential environmental impacts of various options for constructing and operating...