On September 21, the not-for-profit Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) released a series of recordings with top Pebble Mine executives that revealed Pebble's plans to build a vastly larger and longer-lived toxic open-pit mine than evaluated in the Pebble Mine Environmental Impact Statement. These Pebble Tapes also include troubling remarks about Pebble's relationship and influence with elected officials, its plans to open up more of western Alaska to mining, and much more. Following the tapes' release, Tom Collier announced his resignation as Pebble's CEO while some in Congress are calling for an investigation.

Learn more:

• EIA's press release: Pebble Mine Tape Reveal Plans to Build Massive 180-Year Mine at the Headwaters of Bristol Bay in Alaska
• Click here to watch the Pebble Tapes on the topics of the scale of Pebble Mine; the Donlin Gold Mine; the Corps of Engineers; the northern corridor; Alaska's governor, senators, and other politics; corporate structure; water treatment plans; the Trump administration; EPA veto; and more mining.
• The Hill: Pebble Mine CEO resigns over secretly recorded comments about government officials
• E&E News: Bristol Bay: Pebble CEO resigns as Congress considers probe
• The Seattle Times: Did Pebble Mine execs lie to Congress about their plans for Alaska project? Cantwell calls for Justice Department investigation
• Anchorage Daily News: Opinion: Pebble's flaws are manifest. It should not go forward.

WPN member American Rivers is now seeking nominations for America’s Most Endangered Rivers® 2021 from across the country that reflect the myriad of important issues facing our nation’s rivers. Please consider nominating a river or sharing the call for nominations with your community and colleagues. In particular, American Rivers wants to expand outreach to communities of color, including Black, Latinx and Indigenous communities, working on river protection and water issues.

The America’s Most Endangered Rivers campaign is one of the best-known and most effective public advocacy initiatives in the environmental movement. Each year since 1984, American Rivers has collaborated with local river conservationists to highlight ten rivers that face urgent threats to galvanize public action and secure victories for rivers, clean water and communities.
 

The Most Endangered Rivers are selected based on the following criteria:

• The public can influence a decision in the coming year that will impact the river’s fate.
• The river holds deep meaning to people and nature.
• The magnitude of threat to the river and its communities is significant, especially in light of a changing climate and/or environmental justice.

Click here to submit a nomination for the Most Endangered Rivers 2021 by the Friday, November 13, 2020 deadline.
Click here for Frequently Asked Questions.

In mid-September, the Corps of Engineers published its Proposal To Reissue and Modify Nationwide Permits to revise and replace 2017 Nationwide Permits (NWPs). The proposed new NWPs would significantly roll back important protections, including by removing restrictions on the extent of impacts allowed and by allowing more activities to move forward under nationwide permits. This would mean that more activities would move forward without going through an assessment of impacts.

We strongly encourage WPN Members to submit comments on the proposal before the November 16th public comment deadline. Please also stay tuned for more developments, including a likely WPN sign-on letter highlighting key issues of concern. 

Learn more and comment:

• Learn more in the last WPN Update.
• Read the full proposal in the Federal Register here.
• Comment on the proposal by the November 16, 2020 public comment deadline:
  • Include the docket number COE-2020-0002 in the subject of your comment.
  • Submit your comment through any of the following methods:
    • Online here at regulations.gov or at the top of the Federal Register notice page
    • By email to nationwidepermits2020@usace.army.mil 
    • By mail to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Attn: CECW-CO-R, 441 G Street NW, Washington, DC 20314-1000

The list of lawsuits challenging the Trump administration's new National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) rule - which drastically undermines critical environmental and public health protections provided by NEPA - continues to grow. On September 22, a group of state attorneys general filed a notice of intent to sue the Trump administration for violating the Endangered Species Act by not addressing the NEPA rule's impacts on endangered and threatened species. On September 23, a coalition of rural advocacy, environmental, and animal protection organizations, including WPN member Waterkeeper Alliance filed the fifth lawsuit challenging CEQ's regulations. This lawsuit challenges the NEPA rule's exemption of federally-funded factory farms, or Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs), and slaughterhouses from all NEPA review.
 

The Ohio River basin states – along with federal agencies, interagency organizations, non-governmental organizations, and others – are collaborating to craft an ecosystem restoration plan for the Ohio River and its tributaries, wetlands and forests. Tomorrow, October 2nd at 10am to 12pm ET, WPN member National Wildlife Federation will be hosting an interactive discussion via webinar for those who want to be part of that collaboration. Diverse stakeholders from throughout Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia are all invited to participate. Please click here to learn more and click here to join the webinar.