Mining companies pushing to dig up copper and other metals in remote parts of Alaska once the Ambler Road is built are asking the Trump administration for a Clean Water Act permit.
Ambler Metals submitted an application with the Army Corps of Engineers for a Section 404 permit to develop a copper mine in northwestern Alaska’s Ambler mining district, the company said in a release.
That region of the state has been thrust into the national spotlight after President Donald Trump last year announced he was backingconstruction of a 211-mile gravel Ambler Road, which would cut through large swaths of wilderness to connect the undeveloped mining district to a major highway. The project was blocked under the Biden administration and continues to face legal challenges.
The Trump administration has also said it’s considering investing in the road and moved to take equity stakes in companies pushing to mine in the region. Critics have argued these moves raise serious conflicts of interest with the government serving as both investor and regulator.
