Federal Judge Rules Army Corps Erred in Approving Gold Mine Project Near Nome
A federal judge has ruled that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers improperly granted a permit in 2024 for a controversial gold mining project near Nome, Alaska. U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Gleason stated in her November 2 ruling that the Corps violated both the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the Clean Water Act. The permit was issued to IPOP LLC, a Las Vegas-based company proposing to extract gold by dredging a nearly 3-mile section of Bonanza Channel, an ecologically significant part of Safety Sound. The ruling stems from a 2025 lawsuit filed by five tribal governments whose members rely on the region for traditional harvests and activities. Judge Gleason found that the Corps' Hawaii-based Pacific Division, which approved the permit, failed to adequately explain its reversal of the Alaska district office's 2022 decision to deny the permit on environmental grounds. Discrepancies noted included analyses of impacts on migratory birds, the channel's floor, and water turbidity, with the Pacifi...
