News Release
Bristol Bay Native Corporation
Bristol Bay Native Corporation (BBNC) applauds Region 10 of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for issuing a Clean Water Act Section 404(c) Recommended Determination. This is the next step in the administrative process to protect the Bristol Bay watershed from the proposed Pebble mine. EPA headquarters must still review the Recommended Determination and do additional outreach with the affected parties before the agency can issue a Final Determination.
Bristol Bay Native Corporation President and CEO Jason Metrokin made the following statement regarding the Recommended Determination:
“We thank EPA for its longstanding commitment to the people – and salmon – of Bristol Bay. The current EPA process is the product of decades of research, analysis, data gathering, and public comment and should allow for a targeted approach that, when finalized, will help safeguard Bristol Bay’s economy and way of life for future generations. BBNC joins many across the region and across Alaska in calling for EPA to issue a Final Determination as quickly as possible to provide certainty as we head towards what should be another historic fishing season.
“For the last 13 years, BBNC has joined the overwhelming majority of our shareholders in standing against the proposed Pebble mine. We are glad to be one step closer to ending this long chapter in our region’s history, and, looking forward, we will never be complacent in fighting for Bristol Bay, its people, its fish, and our Native way of life.”
About Bristol Bay Native Corporation
Bristol Bay Native Corporation (BBNC) is a diversified Alaska Native investment corporation dedicated to the mission of “Enriching Our Native Way of Life.” Established through the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971, BBNC works to protect the land in Bristol Bay, celebrate the legacy of its people, and enhance the lives of its shareholders. Learn more at bbnc.net.
