House Members Should Vote No on Amendment to Block Pebble Mine Project

WASHINGTON, DC — The House of Representatives is expected to vote as early as tomorrow on the Huffman Amendment to H.R. 2740 (amendment 63 to Division E of the legislation). The amendment would defund the Army Corps of Engineers’ continued work on the Pebble Mine project, ending the process and blocking the development of the mine. If approved, the Pebble Mine would be one of the largest new American mining projects in decades, and provide thousands of jobs in an economically-depressed region of Alaska.

Director of CEI’s Center for Energy and Environment Myron Ebell said:

“House members should vote ‘no’ on the Huffman amendment to block permitting of the Pebble Mine. Representative Huffman and all too many of his colleagues in Congress continue to treat Alaska as if it were still a federal territory, even though it entered the Union sixty years ago. The proposed Pebble Mine is on land owned by the State of Alaska and is being developed in compliance with all state and federal environmental requirements. The Pebble Mine project will benefit both Alaskans and American consumers and the process should be allowed to move forward without political interference. It’s time to let go of the imperial attitudes that have thwarted Alaskan self-governance and development for decades.”

CEI senior fellow Ben Lieberman said:

“The law lays out the process by which projects like the Pebble Mine are evaluated, and this process should be allowed to continue. The Pebble Mine contains very large deposits of copper, gold, and molybdenum, as well as critical rare earth metals, which are essential resources for the modern economy. The project is too important to Alaskans, and consumers nationwide, to be killed for political reasons before the facts are collected and interested parties are able to provide feedback.”

Read more:

·         Letter to EPA Administrator Wheeler on Bristol Bay Watershed Assessment

·         Lieberman: CEI Challenges Federal Rejection of Alaska’s Pebble Mine