Take Action: The Smith River Needs Your Help

Photo:PGHolbrook

A very important message from Cal Trout.

CalTrout let you know earlier this year about a nickel mine being proposed in the headwaters of the Smith River in Oregon.  We published an op-ed in May in the San Francisco Chronicle highlighting the threat.
 
We have now learned of the submission of a water license by the mining company to the Oregon Water Resources Department to extract water from a tributary of the North Fork Smith River.
 
California’s most pristine river needs your voice now!   The Public comment period for this 5-year limited water license is open from June 24 until July 8, 2014.

Click here for the public comment section for the project or email the Oregon Water Resources Director at Director@wrd.state.or.us or phone at 503-986-0900.

LINK

BBNC Nonprofit Divests Pebble Mine Gift Shares

The Bristol Bay Native Corp.'s Education Foundation is no longer an investor in the contentious Pebble Mine project, after deciding to sell stock which it had received as a gift.

LINK (via:KTUU)

Northern Dynasty accepts more mining claims near Pebble

In May, an agreement was finalized transferring 199 state mining claims on the Big Chunk "Super Project" site from Liberty Star Uranium & Metals to Northern Dynasty, the sole owner of the Pebble Mine project north of Iliamna.

Along with 95 mineral claims transferred in 2010, Northern Dynasty now owns 294 claims on the Big Chunk copper and gold deposit, which lies a few miles north of Pebble.

LINK (via: The Bristol Bay Times)

T-shirt of the Week - No Pebble Mine! Edition

Strip'n Flywear bringing it again on behalf of the fight against the Pebble Mine.

The proposed Pebble Mine fight is not over. Until the land is placed under protection, Bristol Bay will always be in jeopardy of greedy mining interests. Right now, proponents of the mine (shareholders) have turned to lobbying congress for exemptions to the Clean Water Act. In doing so, they are trying to undermine the EPA's efforts to protect this important resource.

Strip'n Flywear is proud to support the work of Sportsman's Alliance for Alaska. Last year, our Pebble Mine T shirt helped raise thousands of dollars that went directly to their watchdog efforts and keeping the public informed and up-to-date. Their dedication, since the beginning, has proven invaluable, and they still need our help.  

This year, we've added to the graphics, and we are offering the No Pebble T shirt on a soft, 100% organic cotton. For every T shirt sold, $5 will go directly to Sportsman's Alliance for Alaska. We'll also throw in some No Pebble stickers for you to express your continued support.

GET ONE!

Mining Industry Fights Back Against Environmentalists

The B.C. mining industry wants its own version of the high-profile petroleum industry lobby group "Ethical Oil" to battle what it calls "systematic attacks" by environmental non-governmental organizations.

"Several Alaskan and B.C.-based NGOs are using U.S. governmental lobbying and grassroots campaigns in an attempt to stop industrial development in the trans-boundary region where your project is located," read the email invitation from Robert Simpson, president of PR Associates. "Research shows that the movement, which is relying on inaccurate and misleading public messaging, is gaining momentum."

LINK

The proposed KSM mine is just one of the projects the flacks at PR Associates are lobbying for.

The site of the proposed KSM mine is just 19 miles from the Alaska border, on Sulphurets Creek, a major tributary of the Unuk River. The Unuk flows into Behm Canal and Misty Fjords National Monument and is among the top salmon producing rivers in Southeast Alaska.

The mine will be required to treat 119,000 gallons of contaminated water per minute prior to dumping into the Unuk River.

LINK (via: Southeast Alaska Conservation Council)

KSM is just one of nine large scale mine projects the B.C. government is hoping to fast track as part of their drive to exploit the pristine wilderness of the province.

Grasping at Straws

Pebble Partnership sues to prevent EPA action against proposed mine

LINK (via: Anchorage Daily News)