Earlier this summer, the Bristol Bay sockeye salmon run broke the all-time record at 78.4 million fish swimming through the region’s waters. Thanks to clean water and healthy fish habitat, Bristol Bay had another banner run that supported traditional subsistence fishing, the commercial fleet, and a world-renowned sport fishery. Most of all, the record shattering season showed exactly why there is no place for a hard rock mine like Pebble here.
While the fish were swimming in by the millions, public comments were also streaming into the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). At the end of May, the EPA released a revised Proposed Determination (PD), outlining a set of protections that, if finalized, would prohibit and limit mine waste discharge in Bristol Bay waters. The release of the PD triggered a roughly 100 day comment period, and Bristol Bay residents, Alaskans, and advocates nationwide started submitting comments in support of finalizing the proposed protections.
Janice Chukwak testifies during the June hearing held in Dillingham, Alaska in support of EPA Clean Water Act safeguards for Bristol Bay. Source: United Tribes of Bristol Bay, 2022.
With the close of the comment period on September 6, 2022, more records came out of- and for- Bristol Bay. Over 500,000 comments were submitted to the EPA in support of finalizing the PD. Specifically,
More than 2,500 comments of support came from Bristol Bay communities, more than ever before. Every Bristol Bay community was represented in comments of support.
Over 30,000 comments were submitted by Alaskans statewide, more than ever before.
There have been seven federal comment periods since the EPA released its first Proposed Determination for Bristol Bay in 2014. In early 2022, the EPA recommitted to finalizing the proposed protections for Bristol Bay, but with nearly a decade passing, revisions and updates were needed to inform their proposed protections. Read more about the history of the Clean Water Act 404(c) safeguards in Bristol Bay.
With the latest public comment period, over 4 million comments have been submitted in support of EPA using its Clean Water Act safeguards for Bristol Bay.
Commercial fishermen, sport anglers, subsistence fishers and advocates nationwide have been vocally opposed to the formerly proposed Pebble mine for over a decade. Source: We are Fine Without a Mine Campaign, 2016.
The comment records reflect that Bristol Bay residents, Alaskans and supporters nationwide are steadfast in their opposition to projects like the proposed Pebble mine, and their commitment to making sure the region gets the permanent protections it needs and deserves.
Check out what comes next in the process to finalize Clean Water Act safeguards.
With the comment period closed, EPA will now review the comments and use them to make a Recommended Determination. This will be sent to EPA Administrator Michael Regan, who may issue a Final Determination to finalize these safeguards. We hope to see a Recommended Determination by December 2022.
Thank you to every single salmon supporter who has stuck with us during the EPA Clean Water Act process, and at other stages in the effort to prevent Pebble from becoming a reality in Bristol Bay. We look forward to continuing the work to finalize these safeguards, as well as advancing legislation to permanently protect the region from hard rock mining initiatives. Stay tuned for the next call to action.