Biden moves to protect major Alaska watershed from mining

The Biden administration on Wednesday moved to ban the disposal of mining waste in Alaska’s Bristol Bay watershed, potentially halting the controversial Pebble Mine project that’s been disputed for more than a decade.

If finalized, the proposal from the Environmental Protection Agency would protect one of the world’s largest salmon fisheries and block a plan to mine in the southern Alaska watershed for copper, gold and other metals.

The EPA’s action to end a years-long battle between Alaska Natives and the mining industry is part of President Joe Biden’s broader goal to conserve 30% of the country’s land…