Alaska’s Deadliest Match – Fish and Pebble Mine
Captain Sig Hansen, well known for his featured status on the cable show Deadliest Catch has used his political capital, as it were, to speak out against the proposed Pebble Mine Project.
It’s unusual for a “Deadliest Catch” crew member to take a hard stance in a big Alaska resource battle like Pebble. Hansen, who lives in Seattle, said he usually shies away from requests to get involved in anything political.
Because Hansen exploits crab stocks and other Alaska fisheries, he said, he can’t be opposed to all resource development.
“I’m not your typical greenie,” Hansen said. [snip]
He’s persuaded that Pebble can’t be done safely. If a development has “the potential to destroy a resource as delicate as the salmon, you’ve got to draw the line somewhere,” he said in a recent interview.
The ad campaign will feature TV and print ads, one of which has a picture of Hansen and crew, and states:
“We don’t mind crab fishing in the dead of winter in the Bering Sea, but there’s no way we’d take the risk of developing Pebble Mine”
Brilliant. And it expresses what many Alaskans think. It’s not uncommon to see cars and trucks driving around Anchorage with the eye-catching “No Pebble Mine” stickers on them.
For whatever reason, nature has gifted Bristol Bay with the greatest salmon fishery in the world. Pebble Mine, would sit on a fault zone, and at the confluence of two rivers that empty into these rich fishing waters. And the track record of environmental pollution from this type of mine is not good. There’s a reason Hansen thinks the development of the largest gold and copper mine of its kind can’t be done safely.
Meanwhile, the folks at Anglo-American, who want to develop the mine tell us over and over again that they won’t develop a mine that would endanger the fishery. They tell us what great stewards they are and how they’ll do it right. Last month, Sir Mark Moody-Stuart, chairperson of Anglo American made the following comments at their Annual General Meeting:
“The project has been controversial,” Moody-Stuart told the AGM.
He found the project close to three streams located in the headwaters of the extensive Bristol Bay watershed, which was well known for its rich salmon fishery.
“I understand the fears and passions which have been stirred and recognise the cultural and commercial importance of the salmon, but I believe that many of these fears are based on the false assumption that this is a choice between mining and fishing.
“I am confident that the two can coexist. We have made it clear that the project will work on the basis of world-class scientific and engineering skills and that we will use inclusive and innovative stakeholder engagement.
“Our bottom line is that, if the project cannot be built in a way that avoids damage to Alaska’s fisheries and wildlife or to the livelihoods of Alaskan communities, it should not be built.
“It is on that basis that we will continue to evaluate the project in compliance with the prescribed regulatory processes in Alaska. But, we will do so with a mindset that goes well beyond compliance,” he promised.
~~Fishing boats in Dillingham, Alaska~~
Moody-Stewart’s last gig before joining Anglo American, just so we have a little context was as the Chair of the Committee for Managing Directors of Shell Oil, where he had worked since 1966. Shell likes to portray itself as an environmentally sensitive organization, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. This is a process that has come to be known as “greenwashing,” and Shell has been forced to remove certain ads in the U.K. because of it.
Next week, on May 26,the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York will hear the case of Wiwa v. Shell, despite Shell’s attempts to have it thrown out of court. The trial centers around environmental devastation and human rights abuses in the Niger Delta at the hands of the company.
The environmental devastation the oil company has caused to Ogoni lands in the Niger Delta was a primary reason for the Ogoni movement against Shell. In 2006, the Niger Delta Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration Project (an independent team of scientists from Nigeria, the U.K. and the U.S.) characterized the Niger Delta as “one of the world’s most severely petroleum-impacted ecosystems.” Their report noted that the Delta is “one of the 10 most important wetlands and marine ecosystems in the world.Millions of people depend upon the Delta’s natural resources for survival, including the poor in many other West African countries who rely on the migratory fish from the Delta.” Of the nearly 27 million people living in the Niger Delta, an estimated 75 percent rely on the environment for their livelihood, often farming and fishing for market or subsistence living. Shell’s operations in the Delta have led to the deep impoverishment of the Ogoni people and surrounding communities in the Delta.
Why would they do this? Because they can get away with it. What will large resource development projects do in Alaska? They will do what they can get away with. This is not to say that we should never develop Alaska’s resources. But we need to pick and choose, and we need to weigh the cost. Even Sir Moody-Stuart of Anglo American says if it can’t be built in a way that avoids damage to the fishery, then it shouldn’t be built.
And yet, they try to tell us that we have nothing to worry about. How are they doing this? By telling us that they care. They love Alaska too. Moody-Stewart and the crew would never want to do anything to harm our fisheries, or our wildlife, or the people of the coastal communities that depend on these things. Really. They promise. It’s who they are.
~~Shell in Nigeria. Photo credit George Osodi/AP~~
And what happens if Anglo American and their partner Northern Dynasty Minerals screw up? What happens if they have a terrible accident, or miscalculation and they contaminate this fishery? Just ask Exxon. If the Exxon Valdez oil spill is any indication, they’ll make some sort of a cleanup effort, stall litigation in court for 20 years and end up paying less than half a day’s profit twenty years later, after almost a quarter of the litigants are dead, and a corporation-friendly ruling comes down from a Republican appointed Supreme Court. Not much of a deterrent when you stand to make billions.
Good for Sig Hansen for taking a stand. He is right when he says you have to draw a line somewhere, even if you’re not a “typical greenie.”
[This article is cross-posted at The Huffington Post. BUZZ it up!]
@Krubozumo Nyankoye: I have read all of your posts, and all I can say is, “Wow.” That is not enough,but I really hope you continue to give your input. Yours is an incredibly valuable voice, and I love reading your take on all this.
# 54 Say NO to Palin in Politics
Commodity markets are a “futures” market. If I buy a “future” for copper ingot in August at $2,10/lb. today and the spot price in Aug is $2,20 I make money, if it less than $2,10 I lose money. Of course I can always roll over my contract and that works I get a rebate, if the spot price is below my bid in May, I get the difference back. Less commissions of course, so trading commodities is a full time job, it is no different than Las Vegas in a sense.
The reason commodity prices swing through a large price range is a general change in perception of future demand. The copper price has gone through a 50% + swing in the last several months, while the gold price has gone through up and down swings but is about stable over the long term at sustantially higher prices than the last decade. China was buying most of the copper available on the market until around October of 2008. When they began to cut back their orders for new copper a ripple was sent back through the market that pushed the price down on futures, and hence on spot as well. Spot price tends to track futures price depending on demand again.
If you are independently wealthy and can squirrel away a few million now without missing it, buying a lot of copper futures would be a good idea. They are cheap, they could easily double or triple in the next ten years.
HTH
Regards,
#46 seattlefan
I appreciate that you think I am being as objective as I can, I am. I am quite sure we do agree. While it is true that mining does “devastate” something that existed previously in an “undisturbed” state, it is, of itself, like almost everything else in life, both good and bad. There is a positive feedback between our technology, which requires raw materials, which requires the ability to understand where raw materials can be found, how to extract them, and how to employ them in our technology. So that certainly goes to the concept of balance. I have to agree that the balance is an idealism with no basis in historical fact or hope in future vision.
As to your last suggestion, regrettably I am quite sure it would have no impact at all. That is not to say I would not take part so far as I have useful knowledge to contribute, in a joint effort to undertake a suitably prepared effort to constrain what happens respecting this project, as I indicated in a previous comment. However, no one managing an effort to permit multi-billion dollar mine is going to pay any attention to an email or letter or Youtube video by a lone geologist. In 3 out of 5 cases I get “unhired” from my usual jobs because I don’t tell the management what they want to hear instead of what I have found.
Regards,
#43 Had to jump in
I would estimate based on experience but not enough actual information as opposed to “press releases” that between $50 and $100 million has alread been invested in the Pebble. That is a fair amount of money even to Anglo. So they won’t back down under any circumstances. What can happen, I think, is that they can be swayed to a) be more forthcoming with their planning and long term responsibility, and b) be regulated and supervised in their behavior by a fair and pragmatic (not expedient, practical), set of constraints that address the reality of this project and its setting.
The bottom line is of course who has the most influence? Since I do not think it is possible for grassroots opposition to stop the mine from being developed, the only logical alternative is to have expert and influential opposition to the irresponsible aspects that are most egregious. This could come from a grassroots effort but it could not arise spontaneously without a concerted effort by a few capable and willing and able individuals.
Regards,
#42 Co almost native
A few years ago I did a fair amount of work in the Co. Mineral Belt on abandoned mines that were inherited (in part) by the clients I represented. It was a nightmare for everyone concerned. The issues were extremely complicated by the fact of compound ownership, my clients held partial rights to several properties along with some 30+ other entities ranging from individuals to multinational companies headquartered overseas. The properties themselves were primarily what are called “placer mines” that had never been successfully operated. I won’t relate the overall saga, all I can say is that when you have so many competing interests all squabbling over the sacred cows they find most compelling, the “facts” are the first thing lost in the shuffle.
Suffice it to say, when my contract expired I had no desire to renew it, though I had gotten a subsidized education in various kinds of law, the legal profession never appealed to me. I am still sympathetic to my clients, however, in that they inherited the problem from their father who himself was the victim of a common type of mining fraud. Environmentally it was not a big deal really. Nothing like some of the problems Co. is confronted with. If you want a real eye-opener look at the case of Butte, Montana.
Regards,
#41 Canadian Neighbor
Sorry to be so late getting back to you, I can only clock in about once a day.
I am assuming the “submarine transmission” route would refer to an ore slurry pipeline to transport beneficiated ore for bulk shipment. I haven’t reviewed the overall proposal in enough depth to be positive of that so consider it an educated guess. That would raise a number of issues of course, as will any “solution” for how to get the ore to the smelter. On a positive note, I see no indication they plan to build a smelter!
Regards,
Price of metals, gold, oil — they are all stock market based – therefore the fluctuation up and down together with demand. These companies that own mines if you check the stocks — they are publicly traded.
Like TransCanada, Teck Cominco who originally was involved with this Pebble Mine in 1988; Northern Dynasty Minerals; Anglo American PLC
Search: Northern Dynansty stock
The first that should show up is a site that will show their stock activity.
Price of some metals have dropped due to lower manufacturing demand currently in the economic downturn. Beginning to be rather fond of economic downturns.
Thank you for your intelligent input. You are correct, we mine because we use those resources in our consumer driven products. And that seems to be what we should be bringing awareness to so people don’t take those resources for granted by needless and wasteful purchasing.
At least when the metal prices went up the motive for recycling went up which was very good for our country sides. I live in Missouri we have a lot of rural “junk” laying around. I watched load after load of trucks pulling trailers of junk go past my home in the country. People weekly stopped to ask if we had junk to sell. Then the prices dropped and the hauling away of junk stopped.
Can anyone explain why the price of various metals dropped?
#39 Krubozumo Nyankoye Says:
The simple fact is that we are using more resources than we can produce across the board. The devastation of our environment is not taking place because pirates run the ship, they do, no argument, but they run it because we play our roles in the scheme and consume those worthless trinkets the pirates flaunt.
What we should be looking for is balance. Some equilibrium that will allow us to modify the course of the future by knowledge of the present, and then to influence what happens next.
“Deadliest Catch” is one of Discovery’s top shows – why? because while everyone watching knows these guys are out there competing and rough-necking, etc. the sea keeps them, ultimately, honest. Can’t lie to Mother Ocean cuz she’ll slap you down hard and fast and permanently. Shout out to Capt Hansen for speaking out!
I don’t know the origin of the name Pebble for this project, but even that’s slick and manipulative. The word sounds so innocuous, so small scale, so incapable of causing harm, so… reassuring. No big consequence, no big deal. Whoever the PR person was who named this prospect sure was clever.
Maybe we should have a Mudflats contest to Rename the Pebble Mine. Bet there’d be some good entries that capture what is really at stake here.
47 Moose Pucky Says:
May 20th, 2009 at 9:34 PM ….”Show us one big project that has devastated its associated fisheries that didn’t have engineers, PhDs, and experts declaring in advance that “This project won’t hurt fish. We’ll do this project right.”
——————————————-
I don’t what happened to my previous comment but….you make my point exactly.
When a big project goes sour….where are all those PhDs and experts? They’re gone….
Diffusion of responsibility (the plethora of experts and politicians clamoring for the project) lulls the public into a sense of acceptance/trust but in the end becomes the worst betrayal of the public trust.
If we used the medical malpractice model with these experts….as in hauling their butts to court when they’re wrong……and throwing in massive punitive damages for mental pain and suffering for good measure….maybe some of these scientific experts would think twice before taking a big commission to give the company the desired results.
Cynical? I don’t think so.
48 Moose Pucky Says:
May 20th, 2009 at 9:34 PM …”Show us one big project that has devastated its associated fisheries that didn
This is a serious issue. The post and comments are insightful and informative. I am deeply distressed by the situation but all that comes to my mind is:
Why don’t the Palins have a kid named Pebble?
(Probably time for me to get to bed.)
Closet Mudpup, well put.
“Has there ever been a mineral extraction company that didn’t shirk their environmental responsibilities and externalize all that cost to the public?”
Show us one big open pit mine on planet earth that hasn’t destroyed the fisheries in its vicinity.
Show us one big project that has devastated its associated fisheries that didn’t have engineers, PhDs, and experts declaring in advance that “This project won’t hurt fish. We’ll do this project right.”
How many healthy wild salmon runs are left in the lower 48?
How many already diminished/lost in Canada and Alaska?
How precious few left on planet earth to retain and care for?
Wild salmon provide healthy nourishment for people, wildlife, the land.
Sustainable fisheries equals sustainable communities.
Wild salmon–worth speaking out for, drawing that line in the sand for, and defending with all one’s might and muster.
Tip o’ the antlers to all who care, speak up, and act.
Light>greening>food>energy>everything that matters in life.
For these same reasons, new hydro-projects in Alaska, however profitable they may appear to utility companies, developers, local elected officials that like growth and taxes, must be sited on the numerous rivers and lakes in Alaska where they will not negatively impact wild salmon runs.
Hydro-power is great if properly sited. There are lots of high mountain lakes and rivers in Alaska with hydro-potential that will not hurt salmon runs. Site the hydro-projects in these places.
Boom and bust never has been a sustainable economic model.
Plenty enough hatchery fish down south.
Krubozumo Nyankoye:
Thank you for your honest, candid and very knowledgeable post. Fascinating to hear your viewpoint.
I’m afraid that balance you speak of will never be achieved. I appreciate hearing such an insightful and informative post from someone who is seeing this from a different angle. Funny, though, I think we agree! I know absolutely nothing about the mining industry except for the devastation it can cause.
Glad to know you feel this particular endeavor is risky and irresponsible. Perhaps you should communicate your opinions to those who are pushing this project.
There is an insidious aspect to the Pebble Mine issue and every other corporate venture that pits profits against environmental concerns:
If the sales pitch by Anglo-American is successful, it could be years from approval of the mine until the consequences of the mining start piling up environmentally. That time lapse allows plenty of people to disassociate themselves from responsibility for the decision to go forward with the mine.
In my experience, that disassociation or dilution of responsibility is the most deceitful aspect of these types of environmental issues. By their nature, corporations are soulless bureaucracies that specialize in diffusion of responsibility. Sir Moody-Muckety-Muck used to be at Shell Oil, eh?
Unless the public takes a stand now….they will be holding the stinking bag later. Guaranteed.
Good for Sig Hansen for getting behind the anti-Pebble forces. It sounds like an environmental disaster for the future of the salmon fisheries….
Just Had To Jump In
I’ve opened a new Bookmark File —- Mines!!!
Can Neigh & Kru Nya—
This looks to be a big enough project with lots of variables that if we can not approach it with some education and asking hard questions I am afraid the company and those who prefer to make huge easy profits will win.
Our time is now, before the permiting process begins, to make sure the state guidelines are well written and tough enough to protect our renewable resources.
I do hope people realize just saying ‘h3ll no’ is not good enough and do their research and then GET INVOLVED.
The more I read on this the more questions I have.
It is going to take a lot of time and effort to either get the standards right and hold the company and state to it OR shut if down before it starts if they can’t do it right.
Thanks for your input. It is good to see well reasoned opinions.
#39 Krubozumo Nyankoye Says:
Thank you for your thoughtful post- I am somewhat familiar with tailings impoundment, as it is a huge issue in Colorado. So many mines are located near streams-
:Krubozumo Nyankoye,
Hopefully a quick question that you may still be here. What would be:
Possible submarine transmission route
There are two lines crossing the bay indicating this. Are they pipelines?
My thought was that’s an immediate deal breaker as they are totally tearing up the bay as being called submarine, they are under water.
I haven’t paid much attention lately to the Alberta Tar Sands and Crystalwolf just directed me that National Geographic has an article. I just went to the site and looked. You want hell from mining/drilling — that’s it. But, what you have to remember is — Canada is the largest supplier of oil to the U.S. — coming from the tar sands. Out of sight, out of mind.
A good indicator of what years of gas guzzling cars, SUVs add to and why the US has to address the issue of greener cars etc.
Here is link
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2009/03/canadian-oil-sands/kunzig-text
At the top it says Featured Article and Photo Gallery. Do look at the photo gallery.
31 justafarmer Says:
May 20th, 2009 at 5:59 PM
“….
Thus, I never believe anything said by mining companies.”
—————————–
I think you have pretty well encapsulated wisdom there.
Well, I will weigh in on this one because it is partly my field, not an exact fit but close enough to justify having an opinion I would say. I have spent my life searching for ore deposits. In all honesty I have to say it is a great job, it is one of the best jobs I could have envisioned. At the same time I have to admit that it is plagued with problems that trouble not only the conscience, but the whole rationale of trying to be a productive citizen. For further disclaimer I will say in advance that I don’t have particularly good connectivity from where I am so my response time may be long compared to those who disagree with me. I also have some limitations regarding viewing videos and such because I do not have the necessary bandwidth.
First let me state that from a superficial review of available data on the Pebble Mine plan that I have been able to find on the web and access, the tailings impoundment plans “to me” seem both risky and irresponsible. Mine engineering is not my field, but I do understand some of its priciples and damming an active watershed is asking for problems because one cannot know with any certainty what the maximum strain on that impoundment might be under future circumstances. Secondly, I see the impoundment plan as something of a gambit. It avoids the need to create
and impoundment the has a permeability barrier preventing waste water
from entering the water table. Together those factors alone call into question whether the mining interests are being forthcoming about their attitudes towards environmental responsibility, but on the other hand, if no one is holding their feet to the fire, why would they not be ‘compliant’ with standards or requirements that happen to be too low or poorly written?
So on that level, I am more or less opposed to the present Pebble Mine proposal, but I do not accept the idea that it is impossible to develop this mine in a responsible fashion.
What the question ultimately comes down to is this, we now know a large resource of copper with gold exists at the so called Pebble Mine. Exploiting it will require diligence and care, but there is a strong demand for the resources. Copper is of course something everyone owns a little of, look
at your plumbing, the wiring in your house, it is probably copper. It has to come from somewhere. Gold is less a commodity than copper but it still is used in electronics to an extent that might be surprising. Or not, mostly it is just an investment vehicle. And ornaments. But the simple fact is that no corporate entity would become involved in trying to mine copper and gold if they could not make a profit from it. That profit comes from the fact that new copper and gold is constantly demanded by us. We are driving the machine.
I am reminded of a Shaker ditty taken to stratospheric heights by the music of Appalachian Spring. “‘Tis a gift to be simple, ’tis a gift to be free, ’tis a gift to come out where you want to be.” And the other Shaker quote that is so compelling…
Use it up, wear it out
Make it do, do without
The reality we face is fairly simple but rearranging it to provide for our long term future viability is more problematic. The simple fact is that we are using more resources than we can produce across the board. The devastation of our environment is not taking place because pirates run the ship, they do, no argument, but they run it because we play our roles in the scheme and consume those worthless trinkets the pirates flaunt.
What we should be looking for is balance. Some equilibrium that will allow us to modify the course of the future by knowledge of the present, and then to influence what happens next.
yep closet mudpup you said it right and I would imagine it goes even deeper about the risks……..”When you count up the villages that depend on the Bristol Bay fishery for their existence, and add up the long-term revenue stream provided by the fishery, there is no way that the potential benefits from mining can justify putting at risk what could be lost by allowing it.”
Canadian Neighbour Says:
May 20th, 2009 at 7:03 PM
crystalwolf aka caligrl
http://www.transcanada.com/company/alaska_pipeline_project.html#overview
Here is the project that they have on their site with info, maps, etc
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thanks 🙂
Great post AKM. I am aware of the diabolical tactics of mining and big oil, but this particular issue is new to me. I am so glad you wrote this. I went online and read all about it. Money is the only objective with these companies and they lie with their “environmentally correct” promises.
Alaska is our last pristine land and it sickens me to think that “they” would want to mine an area that sits on a fault zone and at the confluence of two rivers that empty into rich fishing waters. What are they thinking? (I know…it is all about greed and they just don’t care about anything else).
Alas, money is the ultimate driving force. I hope your voice and many others all over the country will be heard and can help stop this craziness.
Gold and Copper are viable commodities, but are they so essential that it justifies compromising ecosystems and the environment? I guess that is the real question and it will take a lot of education and political organizing to fight these greedy companies that just don’t give a dam*n.
Good for Sig for putting his opinion out there. (Love that show!) If enough people stand up for what they believe, it can make a difference.
crystalwolf aka caligrl
http://www.transcanada.com/company/alaska_pipeline_project.html#overview
Here is the project that they have on their site with info, maps, etc
Kris Says:
May 20th, 2009 at 5:38 PM
Having lived in Alaska only slightly over 3 years now, I can think a bit more outside the box than your average Alaskan lifer. To be perfectly blunt, I find the State of Alaska government rather greedy…if they can’t have their “fair share” (which is usually quite unreasonable in most cases…Alaska get a freaking state tax already!) of the money in their pockets then out come the lobbyists to lobby against what ever it is they are fighting about now. For goodness sakes look at the oil industry. Palin thinks she can get away with raising the tax on oil revenues then the oil/barrel tanks again…and she realizes she is actually making LESS money now than before her “tax restructure” so guess what the government does? SUE the oil companies!!! And Alaskans sit back nodding their heads not realizing that THEIR money is being used to do it.
Pebble Mine or no Pebble Mine, the state will find a way to get their fair share.
~~~~~~~~~~
Don’t forget the Permanent fund.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Canadian Neighbor-I just saw a article in Nat Geo on the Tar Sands that would curl your hair! Isn’t that where GINO wants to land her pipeline??
It costs so much more to extract the oil from there and its not even a high grade. And it totally ruins the environment.
But yeah, greedy oil/mining companies.
Alaskan Mudpups,
I know you don’t want it but just saying No, hell no isn’t good enough to fight back. Research and educate yourself on mining. Google open pit, gold, copper. Search the names of the companies and people owning the mines, the rights and those that build the mines. Search for environmental problems. There are records on line of other existing working and closed mines. Gather as much as you can as there should be public meetings. Ask me — I know. Having a majority of an audience just saying no doesn’t cut it.
My livelihood was on the other side and the government and the corporations — you have to pound at it with good, hard and knowledgable questions. Consider it the Dems v Repubs!!!
@ Marnie….I’d say your comment/concern is right on and your bulb is brightly shining.
I’m in eastern Kentucky and have seen the nasty aftermath of coal mining you would not believe,
Thus, I never believe anything said by mining companies.
I know I’m not the brightest bulb. But I fail totally to understand how non renewable resources can be allowed to permanently destroy perpetually renewable food, clean water, and clean air resources.
It’s just so obviously self destructive.
I mean its not like the 90+% of forest that no longer exist are going to grow back virgin wood. Or the blackland prarie under Dallas is ever going to grow grass, or grain again. Those things are gone, essentially, forever.
AKM – you have a gift for the Blog Title. NO ONE does it like you do! You are the blog title MASTER of the universe. No matter what your title, it beckons the reader… read just a little more, or a lot more. Don’t go away and don’t go to work just yet, read me, a little bit, please…
Next thing you know, you are completely sucked into the blog post. Forget work, forget feeding the critters, forget taking the mail out to the box. Leave me alone with my coffee and my computer and the world can just wait a bit!
Very nice write up
Very nice write up
I was replying to CN above you …
You might wish to watch the movie someone else mentioned above about this project. It’s quite good in presenting those bases, and the main issue:
Red Gold
http://www.redgoldfilm.com/
I carry it on my iPhone, just in case anyone’s interested in seeing it.
Having lived in Alaska only slightly over 3 years now, I can think a bit more outside the box than your average Alaskan lifer. To be perfectly blunt, I find the State of Alaska government rather greedy…if they can’t have their “fair share” (which is usually quite unreasonable in most cases…Alaska get a freaking state tax already!) of the money in their pockets then out come the lobbyists to lobby against what ever it is they are fighting about now. For goodness sakes look at the oil industry. Palin thinks she can get away with raising the tax on oil revenues then the oil/barrel tanks again…and she realizes she is actually making LESS money now than before her “tax restructure” so guess what the government does? SUE the oil companies!!! And Alaskans sit back nodding their heads not realizing that THEIR money is being used to do it.
Pebble Mine or no Pebble Mine, the state will find a way to get their fair share.
Here is a more detailed page of interest as it speaks of Fish, Caribou, and the fact that Diavik entered into an Environmental Agreement with local Aboriginal groups
http://www.diavik.ca/ENG/ourapproach/environment.asp
AKM,
I’ve went digging looking for info re mining and found the diamond mine not far from Yellowknife as I knew there was something rather unique about it plus it’s in the same weather structure.
I checked my old employer site who was one of the engineers & contractors . Still remember he stories from the guys/girls working there about the ice road, the bears as this was built in the wilderness of NWT. No McDonald’s!! The living quarters were at one end of the project while the construction was at the other. It was contained as they were not allowed out of the sturture at will. A bear could meet you at the exit!! Worked 21 days and week off. Flown home!!
Diavik Diamond Project
This major diamond mining project is located in the Northwest Territories, 300 km northeast of Yellowknife. Mining the diamonds was only made possible by the construction of the innovative dike structure, which permitted mining by isolating the diamond-bearing kimberlite pipes from the surrounding lake. The mine’s remote permafrost location and the purity of the water in Lac de Gras placed severe environmental constraints on the project. The award winning innovative design of the dike ensured that there was no environmental damage to the project’s ecologically sensitive area. The scope of work included the process plant, all infrastructure and geotechnical engineering for the dike.The project was completed ahead of schedule and under budget. Services: Feasibility, EPCM
Dike Construction
constructed North America’s first dike designed as a cut-off using crushed rock placed straight in the water; the dike’s 3km silt curtain, located 200m off-shore, is the longest ever constructed, and the quality control regulations and specifications are among the strictest ever encountered
Here is a site that I found the best picture of the dike which shows the water on both sides
http://www.kiewit.com/projects/mining/diavik-diamond-mine.aspx
(not my former employer!)
Why I did this. I look at it from two ways. I know the interest is trying to stop the mine but it doesn’t always happen. I see this as maybe compiling information if you find yourself on that other side and questions can be posed at meetings. Don’t know if it would apply to Pebble but a number of heads is better than none!!
The company I worked for also decommissioned mines including one north of the Arctic Circle.
whoops guess it was suppose to be dam – not damn – little slip there:-)
John says—
The dam only has to last a few centuries.
I’m sure it will be fine and Anglo will continue to maintain it long after the mine shuts down
***************************
Oh but John the damn is suppose to bet there for the period of “infinity” and we KNOW things that go up for that length of time never fail 😉
Also since so many CEO worry about the effects of projects and business dealings for the coming centuries I agree — it will be JUST fine!
What’s the fuss? They are going to build a huge dam to hold back the waste. No tailings dam has ever broken. Especially those built on earthquake fault lines. The dam only has to last a few centuries. I’m sure it will be fine and Anglo will continue to maintain it long after the mine shuts down. And if you believe that, I have a bridge to nowhere you can buy.
I saw this on the ADN today and was going to send you the link. I figured you’d see it though. And I also hoped you’d blog it.
I love that show and that Sig is one tough sonofafishmonger. I’m glad he’s giving a face to the outrage. Way to go, Sig!
well thank goodness someone with some clout spoke up and shared what they thought and expressed that he did indeed have concerns. Give the guy a pat on the back but enroll him into the cause to stop it, also, too.
Thank you Captain Sig Hansen! I’m so glad you said what you thought.
Has there ever been a mineral extraction company that didn’t shirk their environmental responsibilities and externalize all that cost to the public? If so, I’ve never heard of it. When you count up the villages that depend on the Bristol Bay fishery for their existence, and add up the long-term revenue stream provided by the fishery, there is no way that the potential benefits from mining can justify putting at risk what could be lost by allowing it. I’m inclined to agree with CaliGrl – one has to believe there is no future to share Palin’s willingness to put so much at risk w/ out regard for the potential long-term consequences.
If you have not noticed the GOP’s message is really “Anarchy” in a bottle. I call it Capitalistic Anarchy vis vi Social Darwinism”
Bloggers: feel free to use that as you like; RUN WITH IT!
As Alaskans more than just voicing an outrage will need to be done. The citizens have to become familiar with the permiting process so they can SPEAK up, ASK questions, and DEMAND answers. Get involved.
One of the best sites for learning about such things as the science around this mining it at—
http://www.groundtruthtrekking.org/blog/.
Hig and Erin also have done a lot of work, specifically on Pebble for this portion–
http://www.groundtruthtrekking.org/Pebble.php
Hig has talked about the need to know exactly where the fault is, at this point Pebble is assuming a location, and how much that throws their studies off if they are even fractions of a mile off.
It is reading that most can understand but also gives you some darn good ideas of what all we still need to learn to do this ‘safely’ as Pebble claims they will.
Having this shut down when going through the state permitting process, because it can not be done well, versus lawsuit after lawsuit will show others that by making a good state system of review we can keep our lands clean.
We can also leave open the door for resource development with those companies and methods that are enviromentally sound.
This is more a copper mine than gold and is a source of materials that the world needs to bring prosperity to many other parts not as lucky as us in the US. Learning what is needed to do it well, or not at this time, is what we must focus on.
Like so many other things in Alaska this is a resource we must be careful with, learn about, manage on science and not just profit and overall show the world that it is possible.
We do a fairly good job, yes only fairly but better than most, of it with the fisheries so why not demand it of mining too?
All new mines, drilling etc. should have a big X on them! The need for clean fuel ie: geothermal, wind, solar(where applicable) and hydroelectric.
I just drove by a place in SF by city college and they are building (I thought oh no another parking lot!) but it is going to be a “geothermal” power station I think for the college. ! YES!!!
This is what needs to be done, not drill baby drill, or mining anywhere let alone the pristine waters of Bristol bay. You would think GINO being a commercial fisherman and all 🙄 would know better! But she doesn’t care, she’s about to be raptured out right??? only the wicked will be left so hey, drill baby drill, dig mines destroy the earth!
And all the big oil companies are disgusting, they don’t give a damn about anything but profits.
They destroy everything they touch, like GINO, can’t be trusted, no way, no how!
I live in Colorado, and have witnessed our state’s long history with mining and the resultant pollution. We have leaking tailings from numerous mines dug long ago, and then there is the Super Fund site Climax mine (whose owners conveniently went bankrupt) that still isn’t cleaned up- although Salazar has pushed to get more funding to keep additional toxic wastes out of streams. While today’s mining methods are an improvement, mining and water mix with disastrous consequences.
I pray y’all can stop this travesty from happening. Thank you for bringing up the Niger Delta – a horrific example of Shell’s environmental impact. The photographs from there will make you cuss and cry. The #1 reason why the US is hated around the world – corporations run amok.
check trailer to “Red Gold,” multiple award winning documentary of the Pebble issue. http://www.vimeo.com/3075423
Good on ya, AKM, for cross-posting this at Huffington. You rock, girl!!
It is my understanding that one just cannot mine certain things without creating tons and tons of toxic waste. This is one of those things. So how then, pray tell, do they plan on doing this without the by product of their operation being toxic waste? How do they plan on controlling that so it does not affect the waterways and all that depend on the surrounding environment?
It cannot be done. The water will most certainly be polluted. Every living thing that depends on the waterways and the surrounding land will be profoundly and irreversibly affected by this proposed mining operation.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no!
Palin, you are an idiot if you think for one second that ANY industry is being truthful when they say it won’t hurt. A moment of profit is never worth generations of destruction.
why won’t these people ever just eat dirt and die? what do we have to do to make these fools stop despoiling the whole earth? i am so sick and tired of being sick and tired of them…b
What a disgrace, these people only care about one thing, money. Have commented on Huffpo.
There is a reason why such risky operations are launched far from the public eye, or where folks cannot communicate the danger, or where the danger is not clearly apparent for a period of time: the corporation is able to get in, get what they want quickly, and get out—profits in hand.
It’ll take a lot of voices to get this message heard over the scream of ‘Profit and Progress’. Thanks Sig!
Yep, I have to agree w/you there. Alaska is one of the places that should be cherished for its beauty and wild life. I don’t care what they say, there is no way that they can do this cleanly without effecting not just the salmon but the wild life, the land, and its people. I read alot of interesting articles, someone had posted earlier in the year about a mine in Colorado and the springs underground getting contaminated. Cannot recall who posted it but it was a great article. I’m also hazmat certified and have worked on some fund sites and let me tell you, they don’t always go by the book, especially when the inspector is looking the other way.
Go Sig and crew!
It is a no brainer – mining and fisheries cannot co-exist.