Pebble Creek Mine and market price of salmon

Pebble Creek Mine

Posted on January 20, 2014

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The EPA has came out strong in their oppssition to the Pebble Creek gold and copper mine bt Lake Illiamna in SW Alaska. The EPA estimates that the mine project in just the biuld up phase alone would destroy 94 miles of steams. And, once the mine was operational another five and twenty-two miles of slamon spawning habitat would be ruined along with 5,350 acres of wetlands. This means nothing to the mining company and it seems those in the state legislature and governor’s office are more intersted in the revenue that is produced from the mine than the affect on the enviroment. I spent a year at King Salmon Airport/Air Force Station just south of where the mine is proposed to go. Fishing is a way of life for the people who harvest fish in Bristol Bay. By the way, Bristol Bay produces 46% of the world’s sockey salmon and native Alaskan tribes like the Yukik and the Dena’ina depend on the salmon for their livelyhood.

I have been in King Salmon Creek in waders and have watched the sockeye run upsteam to spawn and I can tell you without a doubt that the proposed mine at Pebble Creek in Alaska will have devastating affects on the eco-system in Bristol Bay that time will never cure! Please write your Representative and Senators and urge that the Pebble Creek Mine project in Alaska be denied a permit to start excavation.

The danger is just too high….

This reposted with permission from Sarge, msgtron.blog.com.  He has been there fishing, watching bear and hiking on these rivers.  Now the thing you need to understand about this map is the red area is where the mining will take place, which feeds into a large lake and two rivers ending in outlets on Bristol Bay.  Even if you think going after gold is a good goal and the state of Alaska has the right to do as they wish, try to understand this mine will dump mountains of silt into the lake, rivers and both Bristol Bay entry points.  Salmon and trout don't like dirty water, otherwise I could fish for them in Kansas.  Also that silt will carry with it mercury and arsenic both used in gold mining, fish don't like that shit either.  To allow this to proceed will reduce the amount of salmon on the world market, raise prices, increase demand on other food sources.

And that ain't all.  Tundra and Alpine soils are thin, a couple of inches deep.  Scratch that off and tear up the area and you have created a wasteland for decades maybe centuries.  As Sarge said, the risk it to high.  Look up the governor of Alaska's address, as Sarge said in another post, write a letter or email, ask them why they would risk all this.