EPA sets timeline to weigh next steps related to Pebble Mine

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says it is extending through May a timeline to decide how or whether to proceed with proposed restrictions on mining in Alaska’s Bristol Bay region. The agency’s acting regional administrator says the extension will allow time to consider available information and determine the next steps, which she said could include revising restrictions that were proposed but never finalized under the Obama administration. This is the latest in a long-running dispute over the Pebble Mine, which is a proposed copper and gold mine. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers last year rejected a key permit for the project. The mine’s developer is appealing that decision.