Congress dueling over Pebble prospect

[Blue_In_AK]

Source: Anchorage Daily News

WASHINGTON -- In a high-stakes battle that pits gold and copper against fish, members of Congress are scrapping over a plan to build one of the world's largest open pit mines in southwest Alaska.

Fearing that toxic wastes from the mine could hurt the wild salmon population in her home state, Washington Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell intends to enter the fray Monday. She plans to ask the head of the Environmental Protection Agency to consider using the Clean Water Act -- if necessary -- to stop the proposed Pebble Mine project in headwaters of Bristol Bay.

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"Should scientists determine that pollution from a large-scale development in the Bristol Bay watershed could have unacceptable adverse impacts on water quality and the fish stocks that depend on it, I would support efforts to prohibit or appropriately restrict such activities," including by using the Clean Water Act, Cantwell wrote in her letter.

Many conservation and environmental groups, including the Sierra Club and Trout Unlimited, oppose the project, as well.

Last week, they got a boost from 17 Seattle restaurants that marked a "Dine for Bristol Bay" campaign, serving Alaska salmon and contributing a portion of the week's proceeds toward efforts to stop the mine.



Read more: http://www.adn.com/2011/09/11/2062250/lawmakers-dueling-over-pebble.html

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Thank you, Senator Cantwell, for standing up not only for the Washington fishermen, but for Alaska's people, as well, when our own representatives are clearly working against us.

This is an extremely important environmental issue that everyone needs to be aware of. Imagine one of the largest open pit mines in the world, with a huge lake of toxic waste being held back by an earthen dam bigger than Hoover (with native villages downstream), in a very seismically active zone, at the headwaters of Bristol Bay, some of the last viable wild salmon streams in America. This is serious business.

Read more here: http://www.bristolbayalliance.com/

http://www.savebiogems.org/bristolbay/pebble/

[roguevalley]

1. this makes me sick, Blue. Thank you for bringing it here.

[Blue_In_AK]

2. I just iwsh more people would pay attention.

I've been yelling about this on DU for some time, but I don't get much response.


ed. Are you surprised that Don Young is being a dickhead?? :rofl:

[lunasun]

3. Is there an online petition we can sign for support?

[Blue_In_AK]

4. I'll see if I can find one for you.

I'm sure there's more than one out there.


Here's one I found pretty quickly. http://www.petitiononline.com/NoMine/petition.html I'll keep looking for more.



ed. I found a couple of other petitions but the time had expired on them.

[Arctic Dave]

5. K&R

[Blue_In_AK]

6. Thanks, Dave.

How are you guys doing these days? Ready for winter??

[Arctic Dave]

7. Just got back into town.

We went on a three day road trip on the Denali Highway for Jodie's birthday. It was a blast. Last camp trip of the summer.

[Blue_In_AK]

9. We were up there a couple of weeks ago.

I just love that drive. :)

[wordpix]

8. very creative on the part of Seattle restaurateurs---thank you, Seattle!

[GliderGuider]

10. Fish are just lifeforms. Gold is ... well ... it's gold, right?

[Supersedeas]

11. The EPA and their scientist against Palin, her witchdoctors, and Laissez Faire Fatcats