This morning a nationwide coalition of non-partisan organizations sent a joint-letter to acting-EPA administrator Bob Perciasepe regarding a pending decision by the EPA that could, if handled incorrectly, cost the U.S. thousands of high-paying jobs and prevent billions in much-needed economic growth.

The EPA is currently considering whether to deny permits to develop what would be Pebble Mine in Southwest Alaska. What’s unique about this is that Pebble Partnership has yet to even submit a permit application. What environmental lobbying organizations are pressuring the EPA to do is preemptively reject Pebble Mine under its Clean Water Act authority before the project has had a chance to go through the permitting process and have a fair hearing. Such a preemptive veto would be unprecedented and portend grave uncertainty for all sorts of projects in every state, in addition to having a negative effect on investment in this country.

This new coalition letter highlights new research on the significant economic boost that would result from development of Pebble Mine:

“Making matters worse, the actions undertaken by the EPA threaten the creation of thousands of well-paying, private sector jobs in an economic sector that is starved for gainful employment. In fact, studies have shown that the initial construction stages of the mine would create over 4,000 jobs. When completed, Pebble Mine would generate another 3,000 jobs paying an average of $80,000 per year. Not only will jobs be created in Alaska, Pebble Mine would support up to 11,000 jobs in the lower 48 states. The EPA’s present course of actions threatens to kill these jobs before they are even created, or create a false pretense to do so in the future.”

Most of the focus has been on the debate over Keystone XL pipeline, but the EPA’s decision on Pebble Mine will show whether the Obama administration places the DNC’s ability to fundraise in San Francisco and New York City above this country’s need for family-sustaining jobs and economic growth.

To read the letter in it's entirety, click here.