Trustees for Alaska and Gilbert M. Zemansky v. Environmental Protection Agency, Alaska Miners Association, Inc., Intervenor. Alaska Miners Association, Inc. v. Environmental Protection Agency, Trustees for Alaska, Intervenors

749 F.2d 549 21 ERC 2222 , 15 Envtl. L. Rep. 20 ,146 TRUSTEES FOR ALASKA and Gilbert M. Zemansky, Petitioners, v. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY, Respondent, Alaska Miners Association, Inc., Intervenor. ALASKA MINERS ASSOCIATION, INC., Petitioner, v. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY, Respondent, Trustees for Alaska, et al., Intervenors. Nos. 83-7764, 83-7961. United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit. Argued and Submitted Aug. 21, 1984. Decided Dec. 10, 1984. Jeffrey M. Eustis, Randall E. Farleigh, Farleigh & Waldock, Anchorage, Alaska, for petitioners. Margaret B. Silver, E.P.A., Scott Slaughter, U.S. Dept. of Justice, Land & Nat. Resources Div., Washington, D.C., for respondent. Petition for Review of Decision of the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. Before CHAMBERS, FERGUSON and BEEZER, Circuit Judges. FERGUSON, Circuit Judge: 1 These consolidated cases involve petitions for review of approximately 170 National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to Alaska gold placer miners in 1976 and 1977. I. BACKGROUND A. Placer Mining 2 A "placer" is an alluvial or glacial deposit…