Help Bristol Bay Today— Submit a Comment to the Army Corps!

The threat of North America’s largest copper and gold mine has loomed over the headwaters of Bristol Bay, Alaska for more than a decade. It’s no time for complacency when it comes to Pebble mine.

By Jessie Thomas-Blate | April 30, 2019

This blog is a part of our America’s Most Endangered Rivers® series on Bristol Bay, Alaska.

Pebble Mine. The project that just won’t go away.

In 2018, American Rivers ranked the Rivers of Bristol Bay as #2 on our annual list of America’s Most Endangered Rivers®. We have been fighting the development of a major mine called Pebble Mine in this area since at least 2006 (our first endangered rivers listing). In other words, for more than a decade, the threat of North America’s largest copper and gold mine has loomed over the headwaters of Bristol Bay, Alaska.

This project would directly impact the world’s largest and greatest sockeye salmon run, putting in jeopardy thousands of American jobs, a 10,000-year cultural tradition of subsistence, and a huge sport fishing and tourism economy.

Bears in Katmai National Park | Photo by Cheryl Strahl

Today we have another chance to ensure the Pebble mine doesn’t put this all at risk. Please click here to comment today.

All told, the proposed Pebble mine would threaten an existing long-term sustainable economy valued at more than $1.5 billion annually, for a short-term mine.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is reviewing Pebble Limited Partnership’s permit application and has released a document, called the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, intended to outline the risks and benefits of the proposed Pebble mine, after an extremely rushed and non-transparent process.

So, it’s no surprise that the 1,400+ page document landed with a pretty heavy thud in Alaska. The document shows Pebble’s proposal would permanently destroy more than 80 miles of streams and 3,500 of acres of wetlands. It makes clear Pebble’s current application is just the first step in what would become an industrial mining district in Bristol Bay; the economics don’t pan out any other way. That’s why a majority of Alaskans still oppose the proposed Pebble mine.

Bristol Bay | Photo by Kai Raymond

Please take a moment to stand up for the communities of Bristol Bay who rely on healthy fisheries and tell the Army Corps to deny this permit— click here to submit a comment.

It’s no time for complacency when it comes to Pebble mine. Please tell the agency reviewing Pebble’s most important permit to follow the science and stop the mine. Please take action today.

Also, if you live in Alaska, consider making your comments at a public hearing: