EPA: Alaska mine project could hurt salmon streams

Associated Press ^ | April 26, 2013 | BECKY BOHRER

[oxcart]

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) -- Build-out of a large-scale mine near the headwaters of a world-class salmon fishery in Alaska could wipe out as many as 90 miles of streams and alter stream flows, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said in a revised assessment released Friday.

The report said mining activity would claim at least 24 miles of streams in the Bristol Bay region, based on the scenarios evaluated, with the loss of wetlands ranging from 1,200 to 4,800 acres.

The EPA focused on the Pebble deposit and took into account information related to the proposed Pebble Mine but also noted the potential for multiple mines in the region, given the resource base, which it said would lead to further elimination or blocking of streams and wetland losses.

Pebble Partnership CEO John Shively said the review was unnecessary, flawed and "consistent with the demands of those who want to deny the Pebble Partnership the right to submit a permit application."

The Alaska Department of Law also issued a statement.

"We believe the assessment is premature, as well as any action EPA might take based upon it," the state agency said. "Any consideration of impacts should be made within the context of an actual proposal and a Clean Water Act Section 404 permit application."

The Pebble Partnership has called the mine deposit one of the largest of its kind in the world, with the potential of producing 80.6 billion pounds of copper, 107.4 million ounces of gold and 5.6 billion pounds of molybdenum over decades.

[FlingWingFlyer]

When are the sequester furloughs going to hit the maggots down at the EPA?

[GladesGuru]

“Salmon could be wiped out!”

And, “Pigs could fly!”

EPA is very worried about flying pigs because of the possibility difficulty of fitting Depends on those flying porkers before each one is cleared for takeoff.

[Zuse]

1200 acres!
Good grief! That must be what, about half of Alaska?

[ParityErr]

The Bristol Bay salmon run actually could be wiped out. This is one time I’m siding with the tree huggers. The mine will generate several million gallons of basically battery acid. This toxic crap will be in holding ponds FOREVER. When the ponds leak, and they will, it will run into the rivers. Everyone here that is blasting the EPA for this please research this first.

[Rocky]

1200 acres!

Good grief! That must be what, about half of Alaska?

LOL. Almost.

Area of Alaska: 663,268 square miles

424,491,520 acres

[snowtigger]

Whyizzit that when anyone tries to create jobs, good tax paying jobs, these drones do everything they can to block it? They cannot produce anything themselves, so they want to stop anyone who can.

Also, why do we treat these corporations as if they have commited a crime? Isn't it normal to wait for a violation before convicting anyone?

There should be incentives for preventing disasters and SERIOUS consequences for violations.

[Eska]

I live in the Eastern Interior, near Canadian Border. Salmon are more important to the locals than most in lower 48 realize. Imagine if nx year everybody in lower 48 had to grow their own food & raise their own meat & fish; no more grocery stores to get food from. The river & land provides most of the food the rural locals depend on. So when you say well there's a chance we could destroy the fishery and gold mines don't have a good track record and the owners of the mine cannot be held responsible for any spills or fish kills; well the locals say maybe we should just hold on here Chester. The locals have been fighting this development for years. Politicians in capital want the money in their pockets.

Usually, outsiders get all the benefits from any development anyway; so local Whites & Indians don't want it.

[GladesGuru]

Florida phosphate mines have had some large holding pond failures, and resultant fish kills. Rivers recove. Disasters have happened and species survive (usually).

I suggest more concern for the “American experiment in self government” as Paul Johnson said. If this experiment fails, “there will be disorder throughout the world”.

[GladesGuru]

I took the liberty of wondering what percentage of Alaska was going to be holding pond. The answer has to be expressed in exponential notation, such as: 2.826911595312905e-6.

[Eska]

The problem is if there ever is a spill, the contamination would destroy the Bristol Bay Fishery which is the largest remaining natural salmon habitat on this Earth. You see water from holding pond would make it into creeks then river systems and kill everything the whole way to the ocean and this would be for years into the future. The mine owners don't want the liability on their backs if this were to happen. When the locals demanded legislative safeguards to hold the mine owner/developer financially responsible, our AK Repub legislators said no way; would kill the project. You see the owners will only proceed if they are in no way held responsible for any future problems. It's like they are already planning their escape before the environmental disaster happens, ha ha.

No joke, from I hear, most the people that live out that way are against it, regardless of politics. It's kind of like building a nuclear waste site in your back yard that will never go away.

Sometimes, no matter how much money can be made, the down side might be just too big of a chance to take. There are new open pit gold mines all over Alaska, not like Alaskans are a bunch of greenies. This one is just an accident waiting to happen many Alaskans believe.

[ASOC]

Ya.

A very rich white guy, Bob Gillam has a monster lodge out by where the digs will be - and he has been pouring a ton of money into any anti-Pebble effort - talk about astroturfing.

Photos of this guys lodge can be found at
http://alaskamag.com/article/76/02/pebble_mines_formidable_foe

The Red Dog mine, which is zinc, has water treatment to remove the acidic residue from the mine, restoring a salmon stream that had been poisoned by natural seepage from the unmined ore body.

It is complicated, but it made into a political football by a rich guy that is a classic NIMBY.

[PA Engineer]

the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said in a revised assessment released Friday.

Did not have to read any further. Follow the money.

[PIF]

Eska,
Thanks for trying, but most here think food grows in grocery stores and salmon are something rich people eat. Many have not been out of their town or city, and a few not out of their parents’ basement.

Any attempt to disturb their consensus reality continually meets with failure and a collective sigh of boredom.

Trying to convince them just how delicate the balance is for Bay salmon is next to impossible.

They often would take mine products over food any day. the formulae here is mine products equals money, food equals grocery store.

Hope you can keep beating back this project.

[Eska]

Oh ya, I'm no greenie, but once knew a guy (Chris Rose) when we lived in Sutton, he sure was. His wife and Chris were always getting locked up for chaining themselves across roads here and there; the guy was a lawyer; didn't have to get the dirt on his hands. Then he helped me stop a cow moose hunt Fish and game proposed. So I keep an open mind nowadays.

I'm sure all the politicals have their vested interests, but the locals are pretty much all against this mine and shouldn't they control their own piece of Alaska? I've been on FR since 1996, never vote for dems; but I've also lived around enough Indians here in rural Alaska that I realize we have to respect where we call home; or it all goes to heck quick. The local Indians have a saying: This is our land and the Land and River provides. They really see the world in those terms, always have. Is it right for an outsider who has never been in that country and will never come into that country to dictate a disaster on the people and their connection to the land & river over profits. My better judgment tells me not; I live along the Yukon, put a fish net in every July, shoot a moose and a few caribou every August.