A judge has dismissed a lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency over a process that could result in development of the Pebble Mine being restricted or prohibited.
The case was brought by the group behind the mine and the state, who argued that EPA was overstepping its authority. In dismissing the case Friday, U.S. District Court Judge H. Russel Holland said EPA’s initiation of the process was not a final agency action.
EPA has said it won’t decide before Jan. 2 what the next step in that process might be.
EPA faces another lawsuit from Pebble over an agency study that concluded large-scale mining posed significant risk to salmon in the Bristol Bay region. The study provided the basis for EPA invoking the process under the Clean Water Act.
