Northern Dynasty Amends EPA Veto Complaint Adding US Army Corps of Engineers as Defendant

Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd. and its wholly-owned U.S. subsidiary, Pebble Limited Partnership, have filed a motion to amend their federal court complaint in Alaska. The amendment seeks to add the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) as a defendant, challenging the permit denial for the Pebble Project.

The original complaint, filed on March 15, 2024, aimed to overturn the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) veto of the project. According to the company, the USACE's refusal to grant a permit was the basis for the EPA’s veto. Northern Dynasty argues this permit denial was unlawful and contradicts the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS).

In 2020, the USACE denied the Pebble Partnership’s permit. An administrative appeal led to a remand in 2023, but the USACE refused to reconsider citing the EPA veto. Northern Dynasty asserts that political motivations, rather than factual records, influenced these decisions.

CEO Ron Thiessen believes that both the EPA veto and the USACE permit denial will be overturned in court. He emphasizes that the permitting process should be based on science and facts.