WASHINGTON — The final Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed Pebble Mine — released late yesterday by SalmonState — fails to adequately describe or address the massive environmental impacts the proposed open-pit copper and gold mine will have on Bristol Bay, a pristine area that is critical for Alaskan tribal communities and the Alaskan salmon fishery.  

“Bristol Bay is the most important salmon fishery in the world and supports tens of thousands of jobs,” said Collin O’Mara, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation. “The science is overwhelmingly clear: the proposed Pebble Mine is a catastrophe waiting to happen. It’s simply unconscionable to fast-track such a high-risk project with a shoddy environment review that failed to evaluate the consequences should the proposed six-story dam fail and release 10 billion gallons of toxic waste into Bristol Bay’s treasured, pristine ecosystem. The administration should instead put a stop to this project and protect Alaska’s salmon and the communities that depend upon Bristol Bay. Since they won’t, we will see them in court.”

More information:

• The copper and gold mine would be one of the largest on earth.
• It would harm or destroy more than 100 miles of streams and 3,000 acres of wetlands
• Bristol Bay is home to five species of salmon and supports 14,000 jobs in commercial and recreational fishing.
• 25 tribal communities depend on the bay for their economies and way of life.
• In 2014, EPA found that the mine was not compatible with maintaining this vital resource. EPA backed away from this position under political pressure in 2018.