June 26 (Reuters) - Northern Dynasty Minerals ( NAK )

said on Wednesday two Alaska native village corporations had

sued the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for its veto

against the Canadian miner's proposed Pebble mine in the state's

southwest region.

Iliamna Natives Limited and Alaska Peninsula Corporation,

which represent the communities closest to the copper and gold

mining project, sued the EPA for exceeding its authority related

to the veto, Northern Dynasty said in a statement.

This lawsuit follows the one filed by the company in March

against the EPA's 2023 decision to prohibit the discharge of

mining waste in Alaska's Bristol Bay over concerns the materials

would degrade the watershed and harm vital fishing ecosystems.

"Those who oppose Pebble have not provided any alternative

that would improve the economy of this area. These two Native

Village Corporations understand that the EPA and our opposition

care little about their future," said John Shively, CEO of the

Pebble project.

The EPA, which claims the project would permanently destroy

more than 2,000 acres of wetlands protected by the Clean Water

Act, said it has no further information to provide as it is a

pending litigation.

The proposed Pebble mine, which aims to tap one of the

world's largest copper and gold deposits, had gone thorough a

lengthy approval and permitting process for decades, but its

construction is yet to start.