EPA Veto of Alaska Pebble Mine Permits Unlawful, Companies Say

A mining company and its subsidiary filed a suit on Friday challenging the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision to veto Clean Water Act permits for the Pebble Mine in Alaska.

“The EPA took unprecedented action to block any development or use of the Pebble Deposit,” Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd and its subsidiary Pebble Limited Partnership told the US District Court for the District of Alaska.

The Pebble Deposit in Southwestern Alaska contains gold, silver, copper, and other valuable minerals. It’s also the largest known undeveloped copper resource in the world, the complaint said.

The mine has also been the subject of ...