We Can’t Eat Gold in Bristol Bay

Bobby Andrew, a Native Yup'ik spokesman and staunch opponent of the Pebble Mine, discusses the struggle so far, the importance of Indigenous solidarity, and the award winning film We Can't Eat Gold, directed by Joshua Tucker.

LINK (via: IC Magazine)

EPA releases Bristol Bay Assessment

In February of 2011 the Environmental Protection Agency launched the Bristol Bay watershed assessment, two years later they have released their final report on the impacts of the proposed Pebble Mine.

Dennis McLerran, regional administrator for Seattle-based Region 10 of the EPA, outlined the findings:

“Our report concludes that large scale mining poses risks to salmon and the tribal communities that have depended on them for thousands of years.” 

Needless to say Northern Dyansty President Ron Thiesson was crying foul.

“Publication of the final watershed assessment (by EPA) is really the final chapter in a very sad story . . . We believed the EPA set out to do a flawed analysis of the Pebble Project and they certainly succeeded.”

LINK (via: Seattle PI)

It will be interesting to see how the investment community and Northern Dynasty's remaining partner Rio Tinto react.

Pebble Mine's 2013 Year End Review

One foot in the grave?

LINK (via: The Huffington Post)

It's up to the broad based anti Pebble coalition to provide the banana peel in 2014.

Ecosystems 101: Hard lessons from the mighty salmon runs of Alaska’s Bristol Bay

A definitive must read on why Bristol Bay must be protected.

LINK (via: High Country News)

Bristol Bay watershed assesment delayed until 2014

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency does not expect to release a final report on the impacts of large-scale mining in the Bristol Bay region until early next year.

The agency had planned to release the final watershed assessment by the end of 2013.

LINK (via: Anchorage Daily News)

Read more here: http://www.adn.com/2013/12/13/3228793/epa-now-expects-mine-report-in.html#storylink=cpy

“The American people have spoken: they simply do not want the Pebble Mine built on top of one of the world’s great sport and commercial fisheries”

The Pebble Partnership took a gigantic PR and stock hit yesterday with the news that Anglo American was pulling their investment in Pebble mine project.

Perfect timing to pour some salt on the wound.

ANCHORAGE, AK – Numbers released today show that nearly three in four Americans who commented on the EPA’s draft Bristol Bay Watershed Assessment supported protecting Bristol Bay, Alaska from harmful mining development in the form of the Pebble Mine. Approximately 654,000 of the over 895,000 total comments supported the EPA’s efforts to protect Bristol Bay, with numbers even higher among comments made by individuals (not mass mailed) and those coming from Alaska. The Bristol Bay region is a destination for sportsmen and anglers across the world and is known for its trophy rainbow trout, king salmon, and many other fish species.

“The American people have spoken: they simply do not want the Pebble Mine built on top of one of the world’s great sport and commercial fisheries,” said Tim Bristol, Director of Trout Unlimited’s Alaska Program. “The EPA should quickly finalize its Bristol Bay Watershed Assessment and use its Clean Water Act authority to ensure the long term protection of Bristol Bay and its fishery. The science supports it, Alaskans support it, and hunters and anglers across the lower 48 support the EPA as well.”
 
The comments coming specifically from Alaska were even more impressive, with nearly 5,000 people – or 84% of total comments – supportive of the EPA’s efforts to protect Bristol Bay. Those numbers were even higher in Bristol Bay, where 98% of over 1,200 comments are in favor of lasting protections for Bristol Bay. Among national individual comments, over 90% supported the EPA.

The EPA began its Watershed Assessment after 9-federally recognized tribes, commercial and sport fishermen, and others in Bristol Bay requested Clean Water Act protections from the proposed Pebble Mine. After two drafts, two rounds of public comments, and outside peer review, the EPA is preparing to finalize the Watershed Assessment later this year. In the draft assessment, the EPA determined that even without incident, a mine on the scale of Pebble could destroy up to 90 miles of salmon streams and 4,800 acres of wetland salmon spawning habitat.

Click here for more information and a breakdown on the comments.