Supreme Court declines to hear Alaska case on copper mine

On Monday, the Supreme Court issued a one-line denial of Alaska’s motion to file a bill of complaint and sue the Biden administration directly. The state of Alaska was attempting to challenge the Environmental Protection Agency’s blocking of the Pebble Mine project proposal. The mine would have developed a deposit of billions of pounds of copper as well as other valuable minerals, creating thousands of jobs, according to the state. However, the area around where the project would be, the Bristol Bay watershed, contains the world’s largest fishery of sockeye salmon. Alaska says the EPA’s decision violated a previous agreement, where Alaska gave up land for a federal park in exchange for land with mineral deposits.

Can Alaska appeal the decision? Alaska may still challenge the EPA’s choice in lower courts and appeal if it receives unfavorable decisions. Legal cases typically take many years before the Supreme Court hears them. In light of the Supreme Court ruling, “we will take the more traditional route and file first in the federal district court,” Alaska Attorney General Treg Taylor wrote in a statement on social media.

Dig deeper: Read Julie Borg’s report in WORLD Magazine on Alaskan sled dog racing.