A legal battle has erupted in Alaska as environmental groups take on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers over a gold mining project that threatens one of America’s most endangered whale populations. The lawsuit, filed on May 20, 2025, aims to block a permit for gold mining exploration near Cook Inlet, home to a critically endangered beluga whale population that has plummeted from 1,300 in 1972 to just 331 whales in 2022. Cook Inletkeeper, the Center for Biological Diversity, and the Chickaloon Village Traditional Council are challenging the Corps’ decision to issue a Clean Water Act permit for Contango Ore’s … Continue reading Alaska Gold Mine Permit Faces Lawsuit Over Threat to 331 Cook Inlet Belugas