Court OKs dumping gold mine waste in lake

[ensho]

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gvXu4LnR0aG1U19gJ9lrjHo7TrWAD98VP9HO0


The Supreme Court has upheld a federal government permit to dump waste from an Alaskan gold mine into a nearby lake, even though all its fish would be killed.

By a 6-3 vote Monday, the justices say a federal appeals court wrongly blocked the permit on environmental grounds.

Environmentalists fear that the ruling could set a precedent for how mining waste is disposed in American lakes, streams and rivers.

The Army Corps of Engineers in 2005 issued a permit for waste disposal at the proposed Kensington mine north of Juneau. Under the plan, tailings — waste left after metals are extracted from ore — would be dumped into Lower Slate Lake.

Environmentalists sued to halt the practice, saying dumping the mine tailings in the lake would kill fish. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco blocked the permit, saying the dumping is barred by stringent Environmental Protection Agency requirements under the Clean Water Act of 1972.
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insanity

[liberal N proud]

1. Arrrrrrrrrgh

:grr:

[sharp_stick]

2. The key to this ruling, I'm told

is that the permit was submitted by the Corp of Engineers based on a law put into place during the reign of shrub. He and his minions decided the EPA was being too strict and allowed the Corp of Engineers to give away (literally) permits for mine dumping.

The ruling is pretty much telling the Government to pass a law once again putting the permit issuing ability back in the hands of the EPA where it belongs.

Personally I'd be surprised if the mining company even gets a chance to break ground before this is shitcanned. At least I hope they move quickly on it.

[ensho]

3. thanks for info - hope they move quickly too

nt