Donald Trump Jr. took to Twitter on Tuesday to oppose a mining project in southwestern Alaska that his father's administration has previously supported.
Trump Jr. said he "100%" agreed with Vice President Mike Pence's former chief of staff Nick Ayers in opposing the Pebble Mine, which has known deposits of copper, gold and other metals, saying that the nearby Bristol Bay and surrounding fishery are "too unique and fragile to take any chances with."
Trump Jr. has hunted wildlife in Alaska and fished in the Bristol Bay region, according to news accounts.
"Like millions of conservationists and sportsmen, I am hoping realDonaldTrump will direct EPA to block the Pebble mine in Bristol Bay," Ayers said in his tweet. "A Canadian company will unnecessarily mine the USA's greatest fishery at a severe cost. This should be stopped and I believe POTUS will do so!"
Less than two weeks ago the mine secured a final environmental impact review from the Army Corps of Engineers, bolstering the prospects that Vancouver, British Columbia-based Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd. could be on track for approval.
The review said that under normal operations, the alternatives it looked at "would not be expected to have a measurable effect on fish numbers and result in long-term changes to the health of the commercial fisheries in Bristol Bay."
The review shows that Trump Jr. and Ayers are wrong, the Pebble partnership said in a statement, adding it is confident the corps will issue a final decision "in the next few months. We do not believe that the President will interfere with this statutory process."
The EPA has said the Bristol Bay watershed supports the largest sockeye salmon fishery in the world and contains significant mineral resources. Under the Obama administration, the agency proposed restricting development in the region, though those restrictions were never finalized. The EPA retains the option to invoke that so-called veto process again if it elects to do so.
Pebble argued the proposed restrictions were unfair and said it should have a chance to have the project vetted through the permitting process.
The mine has been a source of contention among politicians on Capitol Hill. Last week, Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, rebuked an amendment on a proposed fiscal 2021 appropriations package that would prohibit the Army Corps of Engineers from using any fiscal 2021 money to issue a record of decision for the proposed mine. "Let's stop this rat infestation," Young said in reference to the amendment concerning Pebble Mine.
On Tuesday, Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, signaled concern about a recently completed environmental review of the project.
"My staff and I are continuing to review the Army Corps of Engineers Final Environmental Impact Statement, but I am increasingly concerned that [the final review] may not adequately address the issues identified in the draft [review] regarding the full risks of the project as proposed to the Bristol Bay watershed and fishery," Sullivan said. "I am also continuing to make sure that Alaska's voices are being heard on this project at the highest levels of government -- including the White House."
In an interview, Ayers said "one of my greatest memories as a child was with my father either fishing or hunting and I think one of the things that every outdoorsman and hunter and fisherman thinks about is how he could leave that to their kids or grandkids."
Critics of the Pebble project have said the corps' review is deficient and complained of what they say has become a politicized process.
Alannah Hurley, head of United Tribes of Bristol Bay, a 15-tribe consortium opposed to the mine, said she was shocked by Trump Jr.'s tweet.
"This is a shining example of how valuable Bristol Bay is to the nation," she said. "People literally on polar opposites of the political divide know Bristol Bay is a national treasure and one of the last best places for salmon on the planet that has to be protected from threats like the Pebble Mine."
Information for this article was contributed by Joe Deaux of Bloomberg News, by Becky Bohrer of The Associated Press and by Alex Demarbanof the Anchorage Daily News.