A proposed copper and gold mine in Alaska could impact up to 12,000 acres of wetlands as well as local fisheries but would help meet a worldwide demand for copper, according to the draft environmental impact statement on the Pebble Mine in the Bristol Bay area of Alaska.
The 1,400-page DEIS released by the Army Corps of Engineers on Feb. 20 reaches no conclusions about the project, but in a statement, Pebble Mine developer, Northern Dynasty Minerals and its subsidiary, Pebble Limited Partnership, says the DEIS shows no “significant environmental challenges that would preclude the project from getting a permit.”