The Pebble Mine DEIS ignores the facts

Photo by Tim Romano

By Nelli Williams

Over the course of the next several weeks we are going to be highlighting the inadequacies of the Pebble mine's Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) as we begin to review and analyze it.

Reason #1 the DEIS falls massively short: Despite being the most important document in the process to decide if Pebble gets a KEY permit, it analyzes only a fraction of the risk to Bristol Bay. Click here to comment today.

Today, the Army Corps of Engineers begins taking public comment on the environmental and socio-economic impacts of Pebble's plan for mining 1.4 billion tons of the Pebble deposit over the course of 20 years. Though already massive, this plan covers mining on only a fraction of the deposit. The current, 1.4 billion ton plan has widespread impacts such as permanent destruction of 4000 acres of wetlands, obliterating at least one entire salmon-bearing tributary, and fundamentally changing the wild landscape that is the basis of a thriving tourism and fishing industry.

But the Army Corps is turning a blind eye to the truth. On Wednesday, just two days ago at the Global Metals & Mining Conference, the CEO of Northern Dynasty Minerals (the Pebble Partnerships sole owner), Ron Thiessen, stated at 2:31: “Depending on size and scale of operations, this could represent, you know, many generations of mining operations," again suggesting Pebble's plans for a much, much larger mine.

The Army Corps of Engineers should not be letting Pebble get away with this egregious double speak - seeking a permit for a mine the tenth of the size of what's actually planned. If Pebble is selling a massive mine to investors on public land and waters, then the full risks of the multi-generation mine should be evaluated. Please take a moment to send this message to the Corps of Engineers and our memebrs of U.S. Congress. 

Take action now: http://standup.tu.org/save-bristol-bay/

Nelli Williams is the Alaska program director. She lives in Anchorage.