www.cnn.com/…
in a surprise reversal, the EPA has decided to keep in place Obama — era protections for the Bristol Bay watershed. the Pruitt-led EPA had settled with Pebble Partnership last year and as part of the settlement allowed it to file for permits and began the work of rolling back the 2014 protections granted to the watershed. the 2014 preservation of the waters of the bay itself was rolled back when interior released its 2017-2022 leasing plan, which opened nearly all US continental shelf waters to drilling, and which removed permanent protections for both Bristol Bay and the Arctic. Governor Walker, to his credit, has said that the fishery must be protected in perpetuity, and has argued vehemently with Pruitt about allowing Pebble to even file for permits. There is only one way for Bristol Bay to be protected forever, and that power , unfortunately, lies in the hands of the person most unlikely to use it- President Trump. That one way- is designating Bristol Bay as a national monument in its entirety.