Another Day, Another Politico Ad, Another Reason for the Pebble Partnership to Walk Away from the Pebble Mine
NRDC is running a series of ads in Politico highlighting several reasons why the Pebble Partnership should quit its disastrous plans to build a giant gold and copper mine at the headwaters of Bristol Bay's famous salmon runs, which are the lifeblood of the region.
Earlier this week, the ads highlighted the overwhelming local and state opposition to the Pebble Mine.
Today's ad highlights the concerns raised by the Environmental Protection Agency:
In January 2014, the EPA issued its much-awaited final Bristol Bay Watershed Assessment - an extensive scientific assessment of the Bristol Bay watershed undertaken to determine the potential impacts of large-scale mining on salmon and other fish populations, wildlife, development, and Alaska Native communities in the region. EPA's rigorous, peer reviewed scientific study concluded that "mining of the scale contemplated at the Pebble deposit would result in significant and unacceptable adverse effects to important fishery areas in the [Bristol Bay] watershed." EPA found that the Pebble Mine would have "significant" impacts on fish populations and streams surrounding the mine site. Even without any accidents or failures (impossible for any large-scale mine), Pebble Mine would destroy up to 94 miles of streams and 5,350 acres of wetlands, ponds, and lakes - key habitat for a variety of fish species including tens of millions of sockeye salmon and the vast Southwest Alaskan ecosystem that these fisheries support. And a tailings dam failure releasing toxic mine waste would have "catastrophic" effects on the ecosystem and region.
Based on this information, EPA issued a proposed determination under Section 404(c) of the Clean Water Act to restrict the use of certain waters in the Bristol Bay watershed for disposal of dredged or fill material associated with developing the Pebble Mine.
Although the Pebble Partnership fought back and filed three lawsuits against EPA, the writing is on the wall. It's time for them to walk away from Bristol Bay. Click here and tell the Pebble Partnership to call it quits. And stay tuned for tomorrow's ad...