Murray: “This recommendation from Region 10 is a win for salmon recovery…EPA must follow through on this recommendation and send a clear message that Bristol Bay is vital to salmon recovery for our communities in Washington state.”

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) issued the following statement in response to EPA Region 10’s recommendation that the Pebble Mine site in Alaska not be allowed to proceed without major changes, effectively recommending that the plans for the mine not move forward. Communities and environmental experts have warned that the Pebble Mine site would produce run-off and wastewater that would be detrimental to surrounding Tribes and bodies of water like Bristol Bay, home to millions of salmon and a major hub for fishing in the Pacific Northwest.

“This recommendation from Region 10 is a win for salmon recovery, a win for our environment, and a win for families across the Pacific Northwest,” said Senator Murray. “Bristol Bay is a critical habitat for salmon in North America—a mine facility nearby would jeopardize that ecosystem, the salmon who spawn there, and the families and Tribes who depend on those salmon for their way of life. EPA must follow through on this recommendation and send a clear message that Bristol Bay is vital to salmon recovery for our communities in Washington state.”

Senator Murray has consistently championed policies that will benefit fish migration and support endangered and harvestable salmon species alike. Last month, Senator Murray secured over $16 million for fishery disaster assistance funding for several Tribes in Washington state. In the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Senator Murray helped secure $220 million to create a new fish passage at the Howard Hanson Dam that will be critical toward salmon recovery efforts in Washington state and the Pacific Northwest. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law also delivered $1 billion for culvert removal, replacement, and restoration; $172 million for the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund (PCSRF); and $207 million for the Coastal Zone Management Program, among other habitat investments.

Senator Murray has long been a proponent of protecting Bristol Bay, understanding its environmental and economic impact across the entire region. In 2011, she reiterated to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson the importance of conducting a watershed assessment of Bristol Bay and commended President Barack Obama for protecting the Bristol Bay waters from oil and gas leasing at her urging. Throughout President Donald Trump’s tenure, Senator Murray pushed back against President Trump’s decision to pave the way for the construction of Pebble Mine.

The University of Alaska Institute of Social and Economic Research found that the Bristol Bay fishery supports more than 14,000 jobs and adds $674 million of economic activity to the states of Washington, Oregon, and California.

Bristol Bay is the source of half of the world’s sockeye salmon and has sustained Native Alaskan communities for over 4,000 years. The total economic value, including subsistence uses, of the Bristol Bay watershed’s salmon resources was estimated at more than $2.2 billion in 2019. Pebble Mine, an open-pit copper and gold mine that could be two miles across and a half-mile deep, would have been an unmitigated catastrophe for the Bristol Bay watershed and the 40 to 60 million salmon who return to it every year.