National Coalition Calls EPA Actions "Reckless"

A contingency of national organizations representing a range of industries and interests has called upon the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to stop its intrusive actions in Alaska.

Citing precedent, loss of jobs and amplified negative repercussions nationwide related to investments in the natural resource arena, which, in the case of Pebble as one example, is anticipated to be more than $6 million, the group has charged that the EPA's rush to judgment is stifling proper analysis and debate on mining. Read more...

EPA Potential Veto An Abuse of Power

The Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA), which advocates for a national balanced energy policy and responsible access to resources, has charged that the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) actions related to its draft Bristol Bay watershed assessment could artificially and unnecessarily keep critical minerals off the market.

The CEA has written the EPA to express its concerns about the wide-ranging ramifications the agency's actions could have nationwide, ultimately dissuading future natural resource development investments. CEA has also stated that the potential for the EPA to abuse Section 404(c) of the Clean Water Act to preemptively and unnecessarily override sound state resource development permitting processes throughout the United States is extremely troubling

A a time when the United States energy security needs minerals the most, the resulting impact to supply and demand balances to commodities will result in adverse consumer impacts and reductions to overall economic activity. Read more...

Draft Assessment the Latest in Administrative Regulatory
"Side-Stepping"

In comments submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Western Business Roundtable (WBR) notes a trend exhibited by the current Administration: the frequent side-stepping of formal rulemaking processes set forth in the Administrative Procedures Act (APA) and various enabling statutes in favor of unilateral regulation through the use of Executive Orders, Secretarial Orders, agency guidance, interim rules, draft policies, reinterpretation policies and legal "consent agreements," etc.

As part of its communication to the EPA related to the draft Bristol Bay watershed assessment, WBA states that "Failure to Follow 'Regular Order' Violates the President's Regulatory Reform Orders. Additionally, WBA notes the approach is directly at odds with the standards of cooperativeness, transparency and regulatory efficiency President Obama explicitly set for his Administration.

WBR joins a growing number of businesses and organizations nationwide concerned with the EPA's overreach on Alaska state land. Read more...