Experts Support EPA Finding of Potential Danger with Pebble Mine
Jessie Thomas-Blate, Coordinator, Most Endangered Rivers
November 27, 2012 | Most Endangered Rivers, Water Pollution
Bear in Bristol Bay waters | Bob Waldrop
Protecting the country's most special natural places is often a very challenging prospect, especially when those places overlap with resources that society deems particularly valuable. This is the case in Bristol Bay, which was highlighted on American Rivers' 2011 list of America's Most Endangered Rivers®. In a project known as the “Pebble Mine”, a company would like to build a copper and gold mine in an area that is home to the largest population of sockeye salmon in the world.
Our tribal partners have engaged the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in an environmental review of the project to determine the potential impact to the salmon fishery, associated rivers, and overall environment in the area. It is a contentious undertaking to be sure.
Recently, a peer review panel issued their analysis of the EPA's draft assessment of environmental impacts of this project. The peer review panel largely agreed with EPA's assessment that there is a risk of catastrophic pollution if one of the mine's tailing ponds were to have a failure. Under current law, the mining company would be responsible for maintaining containment structures for mining waste in perpetuity. The problem is that perpetuity is forever… and mine opponents (which apparently include more than 80% of Bristol Bay residents) live in the real world. The associated risk is not a chance that they are willing to take when their livelihoods and such a valuable natural landscape and fishery are involved.
In addition to the peer review, thousands of Alaskans submitted written or oral comments on the Bristol Bay Watershed Assessment and the vast majority were supportive of the EPA and the assessment. In fact, local residents passed a ballot initiative in 2011 that would forbid the granting of permits for any big mine that would have a "significant adverse impact" on salmon streams. Clearly the local public is not in favor of taking a chance on the Pebble Mine.
If you want to read more about the potential impacts of this project, the Wild Salmon Center and Trout Unlimited have produced a report.
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Comments List
Submitted by Scott Smith at: March 10, 2013
There are only so many pristine areas left in the world, please don't roll the dice on even the smallest chance there could be an accident, it's not worth it. Just look at the oil spills and try to imagine a similar scenario with copper tailings deposited in the fresh water of the rivers above Bristol Bay. Fresh water is are most valuable resource. Gold or copper does not sustain life.
Submitted by Dwight Poffenberger at: December 28, 2012
I spent a summer working in the area. The Pebble Mine proposal should be killed now. It is a natural area that should be left alone. U.S. EPA has the power to stop it. Please send letters to the U.S. EPA opposing the proposed Pebble Mine.
Submitted by Linda Carroll at: December 24, 2012
If left uncontaminated, Bristol Bay will continue to produce a bounty of salmon as well as a beautiful natural environment. If turned into a mine, it will soon be exhausted, leaving behind nothing but pollution and destruction.
Submitted by Jennifer at: December 15, 2012
There is potential for environmental catastrophy. Whatever good that could come from this mine is far outweighed by the bad that will inevitably come from it. It is an ecological nightmare waiting to happen.
Submitted by Richard Hundley at: December 12, 2012
Listen To Science, Pebble mine is a Terrible Ideal which we will not recover from, please stop this project.
Submitted by randy sailer at: December 12, 2012
i am very much against the pebble mine project.
Submitted by Diane at: December 12, 2012
Doesn't sound like a good idea to me. The chance of contaminating the environment is not worth taking.
Submitted by Ellen Kent at: December 11, 2012
Listen to the experts, Pebble Mine is a very bad idea.
Submitted by Clotilda G. Devlin at: December 11, 2012
I want to eat wild Pacific salmon and to see beautiful nature and sympathize with locals.
Submitted by Clotilda G. Devlin at: December 11, 2012
I want wild Pacific salmon, and I look forward to seeing beautiful nature and sympathize with locals.
Submitted by cassandra church at: December 11, 2012
Please do not allow the Pebble mine to exist or operate, it is an environmental catastrophe.