I don't know if this was posted here before but---
Northern Dynasty: Pebble Partnership Calls on Us Army Corps of Engineers Inspector General to Weigh in on â??Allegations of Political Interference and Regulatory Malfeasance'
5:36 pm ET August 13, 2020 (Accesswire) Print
VANCOUVER / ACCESSWIRE / August 13, 2020 / Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd. (TSX:NDM)(NYSE American:NAK) ("Northern Dynasty" or the "Company") reports that its 100%-owned US-based subsidiary Pebble Limited Partnership ("Pebble Partnership") has written a letter to the Inspectors General ("IG") of the U.S. Army, the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers ("USACE"), joining the call for a review of the USACE's management of the Pebble Project Environmental Impact Statement ("EIS").
The Pebble Partnership's call for an IG review echoes that of the US Congress House Committee on Oversight and Reform, which issued a letter to the Inspectors General on August 10, 2020 (see https://oversight.house.gov/sites/democrats.oversight.house.gov/files/CBM%20Rouda%20Speier%20to%20DOD%20USACE%20IG%20re%20Pebble%20Mine.pdf), but for very different reasons.
"Environmental activists and opponents of the Pebble Project have made baseless and unfounded claims about political interference in the Pebble EIS process, and of regulatory malfeasance by the professional staff of the USACE for months," Northern Dynasty President & CEO Ron Thiessen said. "But now we have a Committee of US Congress repeating those allegations and asking that they be reviewed by an objective, third-party arbiter.
"Not only do we welcome the kind of independent scrutiny and professional judgment an Inspector General review would bring to the Pebble permitting process, we jumped at the opportunity to add our voice to those in US Congress. I say 'bring it on' - we have everything to gain and absolutely nothing to lose."
The Pebble Partnership released a statement to formally announce its support for an IG review of the USACE's conduct in managing the Pebble EIS:
"'The work of the USACE on Pebble has been under assault since day one and it is time for this mischaracterization of their integrity to end. The best way to accomplish this is to have the USACE work on the Pebble Project reviewed by the Inspector General. We are confident the IG will find the allegations raised against the USACE to be completely baseless,' said Pebble CEO Tom Collier.
"From the letter to the IG, the Pebble Partnership said it has responded consistently that:
the Pebble EIS fully meets NEPA standards for scientific review of major development projects in the United States - in terms of process, scope and level of detail;the duration of the USACE's NEPA review of the Pebble Project falls within a typical range for EIS processes undertaken for resource projects in Alaska and elsewhere in the U.S.;the permit application submitted to the USACE in December 2017 to initiate a federal NEPA review of the Pebble Project was accepted in January 2018 because it met all statutory requirements; the USACE has fully and appropriately recorded, addressed and responded to comments and concerns raised by cooperating agencies and stakeholders over the course of the Pebble EIS; and,EPA's June 2019 action to withdraw its former Proposed Determination was undertaken to restore the proper statutory process for the Pebble EIS, not to provide any political benefit to Alaska or Pebble.
"'We have been clear and consistent on these points for many months. Notwithstanding that these allegations are without any merit, they continue to be made by project opponents and repeated by Congressmen who have not taken the necessary time to conduct their own due diligence before they echo false claims. We absolutely welcome an IG review in order to drive the final stake into these falsehoods,' said Collier.
"'Am I a little fired up about this? You bet. The staff at the USACE are among the hardest working regulators with the most integrity among the federal agencies and the misguided attacks upon their process are completely unfounded.'
"A federal Record of Decision ("ROD") for the Pebble Project is expected soon and while the Pebble Partnership fully supports a comprehensive, expedited review of the USACE's management of the Pebble EIS, as well as into EPA's decision to withdraw its former Proposed Determination, the company sees no reason why this process should delay issuance of a ROD.
"'The Pebble Project has potential to become one of the most significant, long-life producers of copper and other strategic metals required to facilitate America's transition to a low-carbon future that our country has ever seen. To the degree a review by the USACE Inspector General can help build public trust in our project and the country's statutory permitting processes, it will have struck a meaningful blow for America's mineral independence and efforts to build the green economy of the future,' said Collier.
"The actual start of construction at Pebble is years away as the Pebble Partnership must still file for state permits and complete the state permitting process."
Link to Pebble Partnership letter to US Inspectors General: https://pebblepartnership.com/s/AUG-13-2020-PLP-Collier-Letter-to-DOD-and-Army-IG_FINAL.pdf
Link to Pebble Partnership letter to House Committee on Oversight and Reform: https://pebblepartnership.com/s/AUG-13-2020-LET-from-Collier-to-Oversight-Committee.pdf
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The Dems are still trying there best to stop this project along
with CCP and a bunch of enviromental groups.
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