The CEO of a large proposed gold and copper mine in Alaska’s Bristol Bay is denying reports that prominent conservative opposition to the project, including from Donald Trump Jr., has turned the White House against the project.

In a letter made public Monday, the Army Corps of Engineers asked the developers of the proposed Pebble Mine to take additional measures to compensate for the effects the mine will have on wetlands and streams before it can be permitted. The move could push a final decision on the mine until after the election. Democratic nominee Joe Biden has said he would halt the project.

Opponents of the project are suggesting the mitigation requirements are so significant that it would essentially block the project from moving forward.

“Real mitigation is death for Pebble Mine, because it’s impossible to mitigate the damage this project would inflict on Bristol Bay, its Tribes, and the people whose livelihoods and well-being depend on it,” said Joel Reynolds, a senior attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council’s nature program.

However, Tom Collier, CEO of Pebble Limited Partnership, the mine’s owner and a subsidiary of Canadian-based Northern Dynasty Minerals, says the company has been preparing for weeks a plan to address the Army Corps’ concerns. (Read more from “Alaska Gold Mine CEO Insists Trump Isn’t Blocking Project Despite Conservative Opposition” HERE)

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