Post should have taken a deeper look at EPA, Bristol Bay and Pebble

Robert Heyano, president of United Tribes of Bristol Bay responds to the Washington Post's recent story on the proposed Pebble Mine.

The Post’s article intimates that the battle over Pebble began with a tribal petition to EPA requesting that it use its authority under the Clean Water Act to prohibit mining in the Bristol Bay watershed. In doing so, the article misses the key reason the tribes submitted the petition in the first place.

LINK (via: Alaska Dispatch News)

Xboundary

An open-pit mining boom is underway in northern British Columbia, Canada. The massive size and location of the mines--at the headwaters of major salmon rivers that flow across the border into Alaska--has Alaskans concerned over pollution risks posed to their multi-billion dollar fishing and tourism industries. These concerns were heightened with the Aug 4, 2014 catastrophic tailings dam failure at nearby Mt. Polley Mine in BC's Fraser River watershed.

Take action to help protect our rivers, jobs, and way of life, at salmonbeyondborders.org.

Northern Dynasty Seeking New Business Partner

Northern Dynasty, the company that owns the proposed Pebble Mine, is bolstering its financing as it looks for a new partner.

LINK (via:Alaska Public Media)

Good luck finding a new partner. Two of the world's largest mining conglomerates, Rio Tinto and Anglo American, have already bailed on the project and the EPA is poised to shut down the project for good.

Canada Greenlight Massive Gold and Copper Mine Near Alaska Border

Earlier this week the BC government approved the massive Site C Dam on the Peace River. Now the Canadian federal government has greenlighted a proposed new mine in the Transboundary region that in on the scale of Pebble in Alaska.

The federal government approved the environmental assessment application on Friday for the massive KSM gold and copper mine in northwestern British Columbia near the Alaska border.

The mine, which is owned by Seabridge Gold Inc. (TSX:SEA), is considered the largest undeveloped gold reserve in the world and also has copper, silver and molybdenum deposits.

The project would be just 35 kilometres from the Alaska border, and in August the state took the rare step of asking the Canadian government for involvement in the approval process over concerns for its rivers and fish.

But the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency concluded in its report that the KSM project isn’t likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects.

LINK (via:Global News)

Not likely to cause significant environmental effects?

Here is some KSM data courtesy of the Southeast Alaska Conservation Council.

As proposed, this mine will be among the largest open-pit mines in the world.  It will process 130,000 tons of ore per day. The mine will operate for 52 years.

Waste Rock: The KSM will produce 2.5 billion tons of acid producing waste rock that will be dumped into the Mitchell and McTagg Valleys just above the Unuk River.

Pits: The open pits will cover 2,500 acres and be over 1,200 feet deep.  Pumping water from the pits will essentially remove all of the ground water from the mine footprint.

Waste Water: The mine will be required to treat 119,000 gallons of contaminated water per minute prior to dumping into the Unuk River.  This scale of water treatment is unprecedented.  An earthen dam 540 feet tall will contain the lake of contaminated water.  Water will have to be treated for at least 200 years after closure and possibly forever.

Tailings Dump: The tailings dump will cover 3,400 acres of fish habitat in the headwaters of the Bell-Irving river system.  This sludge will be contained behind a 2 dams over 700 feet tall; taller and wider than the Hoover Dam.  These dams will be made from waste rock, not concrete.

There are currently 21 projects either active or in the later stages of exploration in the Transboundary region.

Learn more about the threats to the region and take action at SEACC and Rivers WIthout Borders.

Mining company fights for permit to drill near famed river

Red Flat Nickel Corporation has filed a petition with the Oregon Water Resources Department asking the agency to reconsider denial of the company’s application to withdraw water in the watershed of the National Wild and Scenic North Fork Smith River.

The permit was denied last September by the Oregon Water Resources Department, which determined the water usage would "impair and be detrimental to public interest." However, Red Flat said in a letter that OWRD's reasoning was flawed and has asked the agency to reconsider.

LINK (via: The Statesman Journal)

Alaskans fear environmental threats from mines in northwest B.C.

British Columbia's ambition of opening new mines in the province's north has raised fears in neighbouring Alaska where environmental and aboriginal groups say the industry's unchecked development threatens their salmon and tourism industries.

LINK (via:CBC News)