the obama era epa used a rare provision of the clean water act to basically veto any mining that could pose a threat. epa scientists righting a mine would result in complete loss of fish habitat that's irreversible. >> it's mind boggling. >> christine todd whitman is a former head of the epa. she has joined several other former epa chiefs to publicly oppose the mine. >> the potential damage is so overwhe overwhelming. the opposition to it up there is so amazing. over 80 miles of streams, thousands of acres could be damaged from this project. >> reporter: this is the second time during the trump administration the political appointees at the epa have decided to remove special protections for bristol bay to pave the way for this mine.