The Biden administration is expected to deny permission for a mining company to build a 211-mile industrial road through fragile Alaskan wilderness, handing a victory to environmentalists in an election year when the president wants to underscore his credentials as a climate leader and conservationist.
A formal denial of the project would come later this year, they said.
The road was essential to reach what is estimated to be a $7.5 billion copper deposit buried under ecologically sensitive land.
There are currently no mines in the area and no requests for permits have been filed with the government; the road was a first step.
Blocking the industrial road would be an enormous victory for opponents who have argued for years that it would threaten wildlife as well as Alaska Native tribes that rely on hunting and fishing.
Persons:
Biden
Organizations:
Interior Department
Locations:
Ambler, Alaska