While Alaskans are looking ahead to a bright future for Bristol Bay, Gov. Mike Dunleavy continues to look backward and is seeking to keep the proposed Pebble mine project alive through dubious legal tactics. The latest example of this is the state s appeal of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers decision to deny a key Clean Water Act permit for the project. The appeal is wrong on the law. It is wrong on science. And it is wrong for Alaskans.
Let us start with the legal arguments. The applicable regulations specify that only the party denied a Clean Water Act Section 404 permit can file an administrative appeal of that decision. Corps of Engineers guidance on the appeal process is equally specific, the process provides permit applicants with an opportunity to seek a timely and objective reconsideration of an adverse permit decision, and there is no third-party involvement in the appeal process itself. This is black and white. Moreover, the Pebble Limited Partnership (PLP), the
Governor’s Pebble appeal ignores the law, science and voices of Alaskans Author: Jason Metrokin Published February 1
FILE - In this Jan. 27, 2020, file photo, Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy, center, delivers his State of the State speech to a Joint Session of the Alaska Legislature as then Senate President Cathy Giessel, R-Anchorage, left, and then Speaker of the House Bryce Edgmon, D-Dillingham listen. (AP Photo/Michael Penn, File)
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Print article While Alaskans are looking ahead to a bright future for Bristol Bay, Gov. Mike Dunleavy continues to look backward and is seeking to keep the proposed Pebble Mine project alive through dubious legal tactics. The latest example of this is the state’s appeal of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ decision to deny a key Clean Water Act permit for the project. The appeal is wrong on the law. It is wrong on science. And it is wrong for Alaskans.
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Clean Water Act Permits for Discharges to Groundwater: EPA Issues Guidance on County Of Maui v. Hawaii Wildlife Fund Monday, February 1, 2021
On 14 January 2021, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a guidance memorandum on the application of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 23 April 2020 decision in
County of Maui v. Hawaii Wildlife Fund (Maui).
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As a result of the
Maui ruling, a range of activities from stormwater management systems, wastewater management systems such as drain fields, and leaking infrastructure such as storage tanks or impoundments that might pollute groundwater may now be subject to regulation and permitting under the Clean Water Act (CWA). In the wake of the
Highlights
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has published its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) 2021 Issuance of the Multi-Sector General Permit for Stormwater Discharges Associated with Industrial Activity (MSGP).
Several items from the proposed 2020 MSGP were not adopted in the final version, including a coal-tar sealcoat prohibition, expansion beyond the 2015 MSGP provisions for permitted discharges to CERCLA/Superfund sites, automatic delays to new discharger authorization due to enforcement, universal benchmark monitoring for all dischargers (as opposed to sector-specific requirements) and requiring sector-specific control measure fact sheet checklists.
The permit s effective date is March 1, 2021. Operators with permit coverage under the 2015 MSGP (which has been administratively continued) have until May 30, 2021, to submit a new Notice of Intent (NOI). Eligible new dischargers are required to submit an NOI for permit coverage at least 30
EPA grant aimed at restoring water quality in prioritized portions
Times Report
Crookston Times
In November 2018, ten watersheds were selected to be prioritized for funding in federal fiscal year 2020. The selections were part of the transition in the federal Clean Water Act Section 319 program from one-time grants to more reliable funding focused on small watersheds.
The goal of the program is to help local governments make measurable changes toward water quality improvements. Based on input from many local governments, the program is designed to provide a reliable and longer-term funding source to address all pollutants in small watersheds.
Red Lake River watershed was chosen to be one of the first 10 watersheds (Group A) to be eligible for this funding after the West Polk Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) successfully submitted a request for participation and Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) staff met with local project partners.