I 
118TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 8193 
To prohibit and restrict certain actions in the Bristol Bay watershed, and 
for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 1, 2024 
Mrs. PELTOLA introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 
A BILL 
To prohibit and restrict certain actions in the Bristol Bay 
watershed, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Bristol Bay Protection 
Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) The Pebble Mine project proposes to dis-
charge dredged or fill material into waters of the 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
20:36 May 29, 2024
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H8193.IH
H8193
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
United States, including wetlands, which are subject 
to the jurisdiction of the Clean Water Act. 
(2) The discharge of dredged or fill material 
into these waters will have unacceptable adverse ef-
fects on municipal water supplies, shellfish beds and 
fishery areas, wildlife, and recreational areas. 
(3) The Administrator of the Environmental 
Protection Agency, pursuant to section 404(c) of the 
Clean Water Act, has prohibited the specification of 
the project area as a disposal site and has deter-
mined that the discharge of dredged or fill material 
into these waters will have unacceptable adverse ef-
fects, including— 
(A) the loss of approximately 8.5 miles 
(13.7 km) of documented anadromous fish 
streams; 
(B) the loss of approximately 91 miles 
(147 km) of additional streams that support 
anadromous fish streams; 
(C) the loss of approximately 2,108 acres 
(8.5 km2) of wetlands and other waters that 
support anadromous fish streams; and 
(D) adverse impacts on approximately 29 
additional miles (46.7 km) of anadromous fish 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
20:36 May 29, 2024
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H8193.IH
H8193
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
streams resulting from greater than 20 percent 
changes in average monthly streamflow. 
(4) Alaska’s Bristol Bay watershed is an area 
of unparalleled ecological value, boasting salmon di-
versity and productivity unrivaled anywhere in North 
America. 
(5) The region’s salmon resources have sup-
ported Alaska Native cultures for thousands of years 
and continue to support one of the last intact salm-
on-based cultures in the world. 
(6) The Bristol Bay watershed’s largely undis-
turbed aquatic habitats and productive salmon popu-
lations create this globally significant ecological and 
cultural resource. 
(7) People in the Bristol Bay region rely on 
subsistence resources to provide high-quality foods, 
foster a healthy lifestyle, and form the basis for so-
cial relations. Much of the region’s population prac-
tices subsistence, with salmon making up a large 
portion of their diets, and residents are particularly 
vulnerable to potential changes in salmon abun-
dance. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
20:36 May 29, 2024
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H8193.IH
H8193
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
SEC. 3. CODIFICATION OF FINAL DETERMINATION RELAT-
ING TO PEBBLE DEPOSIT AREA. 
The final determination of the Environmental Protec-
tion Agency, published on February 3, 2023, and titled 
‘‘Final Determination To Prohibit the Specification of and 
Restrict the Use for Specification of Certain Waters With-
in Defined Areas as Disposal Sites; Pebble Deposit Area, 
Southwest Alaska’’ (88 Fed. Reg. 7441), shall have the 
force and effect of law. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
20:36 May 29, 2024
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H8193.IH
H8193
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS