June 24, 2013

Opinion: There's still time to stop Pebble Mine

Natural areas of exceptional beauty and geographical significance are worth preserving, places like Mount Rainier, the Olympics, Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon. The recreational and spiritual value they provide far exceeds whatever monetary value may be derived by exploiting their natural resources.

Alaska's Bristol Bay region is just such a place. It's wild, scenic, the location of several major rivers and home to over half of the world's remaining wild sockeye salmon. Unfortunately, however, it may soon be lost if the Pebble Partnership has its way.

The Pebble Partnership is a joint venture of Northern Dynasty and Anglo American, Canadian and British mining companies that leased Bristol Bay mineral rights from the federal government. They plan to dig an open pit gold and copper mine of unimaginable size: several miles in diameter and 4,000 feet deep. They also plan to construct seven miles of earthen dams up to 740-feet high to retain toxic waste water, massive infrastructure for people and equipment, and a complex road system to haul ore to the Gulf of Alaska.

I have been active in the design and development of the urban landscape for several decades. I am a business owner, a believer in free enterprise, and a strong supporter of personal property rights. I am also adamantly opposed to the Pebble Mine.

The Bristol Bay region is one of the most spectacular natural areas in North America and should not be destroyed for monetary gain, which is essentially the argument Pebble makes for proceeding.

The importance of preserving natural ecosystems like Bristol Bay seems self evident. To some, however, it's not. Pebble has company in their push to develop wild Alaska.

I returned several weeks ago from an Alaskan kayaking trip, an activity I enjoy there frequently. I was reminded of how rapidly development is proceeding in previously remote and inaccessible areas. Places that were once well off the beaten path are now square in the middle of it. Portions of its incredible wilderness, salmon runs and other unique natural assets are experiencing death by a thousand cuts. That's all the more reason to terminate Pebble — the largest man‐made excavation ever proposed on planet earth — now, before it's too late.

Wilderness is a fragile thing. Once lost, it cannot be recovered.

I recently wrote an editorial for the DJC urging people to write the EPA, which on April 30 released a chilling assessment of the damage Pebble would wreak on the Bristol Bay ecosystem. The public comment deadline, which was May 31 at the time of my prior writing, was subsequently extended to June 30.

The EPA has the power to decisively stop Pebble by invoking the Clean Water Act and will likely do so if the public supports them. So, if you agree with the importance of beating Pebble and haven't yet written, please go to www.ckcps.com and click on “Save Bristol Bay.” You'll be taken to a form letter that you can send as is, or personalize if you wish.

Thomas Quinn, a professor at the University of Washington's School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, said “Bristol Bay is one of the last really big, fully functioning salmon ecosystems on the planet.” He went on to say that Pebble “would be bad for Alaska, bad for the U.S., and even bad for the world.”

Write now. Thank you.

Cary Kopczynski is CEO and senior principal with Cary Kopczynski & Co., a structural engineering company based in Bellevue.

I appreciate your position on exploiting natural resources, however, few of us are able to go kayaking in Alaska and enjoy the type of life you apparently have. Our economy needs more JOBS and this mine would certainly create family wage employment. Mining sevral square miles 4,000 feet deep along with earthen dams that would contain "toxic" waste water? How big is the state of Alaska? Do you really believe that obtaining a mining permit for a facility of this size is going to allow for reckless dumping of "toxic" waste water? No chance. And how much are we already spending on saving salmon? How many more millions do we spend? There are 30 million people on food stamps in the United States. Maybe a few of them could benefit from these jobs and you could go kayaking elsewhere. Sorry, but this is getting REALLY tiresome.

Jesse, take a moment to become informed before you spout off. Development of this mine directly threatens the 10,000+ jobs that are dependent upon the Bristol Bay fishery. If you're argument is about jobs, you'd be wise to want to protect the existing jobs - many of which are right in Washington state.

A convincing opinion - thanks, Cary. I think this mine is another disaster waiting to happen. It wouldn't be the first time that miscalculations, poor judgment or other variations of human error have been to blame for major environmental catastrophes... if not any profit-motivated questionable activities... which we all know "never" happen ;)
 

 
From honest mistakes to blatant disregard for the consequences, recent history is filled with terrifying examples of the damage people are capable of causing. Consider:
 
- the BP oil spill, Gulf of Mexico, ongoing
 
- Gulf of Mexico "Dead Zone", ongoing - Miles of gulf area are incapable of sustaining life due to lack of oxygenation in the water. Fertilizers, pesticides and nitrogen-rich livestock waste that have seeped into the water from farms along the Mississippi River.
 
- Tennessee Coal Ash Spill, 2008 - the walls of a dam at the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Fossil Plant that holds back 80 acres of coal ash waste crumbled. The sludge—1.1 billion gallons of byproduct from coal combustion—flowed out of the plant and covered 300 acres of the surrounding countryside.
 
- Exxon Valdez, 1989 - This ship ran aground and spilled an estimated 10.9 million gallons of crude oil into the Prince William Sound. Just one hour before the tanker struck land, ship captain Joseph Hazelwood had retired to his cabin and left an unqualified mate at the helm.
 
- Love Canal, 1978 - Investigations by the local newspaper revealed that 21,800 tons of chemical waste—a combination of 80 toxins—had been buried beneath the neighborhood by Hooker Chemical. The plant had sold the land to the Niagara Falls School Board, and when the city started developing the site, the chemical waste was released. It was the first declared Federal Disaster Area due to manmade causes.
 

 
And how about the leaking radioactive waste right here in Hanford, WA? Whether 'best practices' in engineering or more dubious reasons just couldn't cut it, all these examples show just how easily mankind is capable of messing up his own bed. How many more times do we need to see this happen on these huge mega-scales?

Pebble Mine should be stopped because mines from around the world are already going bad, poisoning rivers, polluted communities and Pebble will be no different. Even if they use the best technology and plan, it will still fail eventually because people are not perfect and so aren't the things that they build. Pebble Partnership has also been releasing ads on TV that say that salmon don't matter, which is totally not true because salmon is a major part of Alaska's economy, culture, and ecosystem.

I live in Bristol Bay pretty much all my life, we live in the area which has the highest unemployment in the State of Alaska.
 
It does not look any better with other Trials of Life,our Regional Native Corp. BBNC does not help with the 2 billion Dollars they make. take a look at the State of Alaska Numbers on unemployment 30 yrs. ago your will see not to much change.
 
Bristol Bay Economic Development Corp. is the biggest fraud in the State of Alaska , BBEDC'S charter was to provide jobs, economic development, they publish a pretty fancy report, yet they turn away youth summer jobs, they advertise . what does that do to the youth , I don't think they would apply ever again.
 
They have a self proclaimed Dr. Robin Samulsen that heads this sinking ship, so In short take a look at the facts and talk to Bristol Bay residents before you publish anything.

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