Statement on U.S. Dept. of Justice reaffirming its legal defense of Clean Water Act protections for Bristol Bay
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 18, 2025
Contact: Alannah Hurley, UTBB Executive Director, (907) 843-1633 or ahurley@utbb.org
United Tribes of Bristol Bay Statement on U.S. Dept. of Justice reaffirming its legal defense of Clean Water Act protections for Bristol Bay
In 2024, Pebble Limited Partnership sued the U.S. government in an attempt to undo the Clean Water Act 404(c) protections that stopped Pebble mine. Despite recent reports that the U.S. government may settle with Pebble, the Department of Justice announced yesterday afternoon it will continue to defend Bristol Bay in court, though the lawsuit seeking to overturn Bristol Bay protections will continue.
United Tribes of Bristol Bay released the following statement on today’s news:
“Yesterday’s announcement from the U.S. Department of Justice reaffirming its legal defense of the Clean Water Act protections for Bristol Bay is welcome news for Bristol Bay communities and fishermen, though a fight remains in court to defend the decision our Tribes fought so hard to achieve.
The United Tribes of Bristol Bay is pleased to see the case continue to the merits phase and will continue to participate in the case to ensure science, law, and local cultures and economies are prioritized over the profits of a Canadian-owned company. The administrative record and millions of Americans stand by the people of Bristol Bay in supporting these strong protections for the region.
State-based solutions, such as prohibiting metallic sulfide mining in the Bristol Bay Fisheries Reserve, remain critical to ensuring the entirety of the watershed is protected into the future from Pebble and the other twenty-plus mining claims.
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United Tribes of Bristol Bay is a tribal consortium representing 15 Bristol Bay tribal governments (that represent over 80 percent of the region’s total population) working to protect the Yup’ik, Dena'ina, and Alutiiq way of life in Bristol Bay.
