FINAL DRAFT: Bristol Bay: Salmon VS. Gold

Far, far away from urban cities, skyscrapers, power plants, rush hour traffic, and suburban sprawl, is the untouched virgin wilderness of Alaska, particularly the Bristol Bay region. This region is home to the Bristol Bay fisheries, a diverse habitat of wildlife, and unique communities that live a subsistence lifestyle off the land. Roughly the size of the state of Ohio this region has 34 million acres of what the Bristol Bay Native Corporation calls, “black sand beaches, mountain ranges, lowland tundra, wetlands, abundant flora and fauna, and many wild and scenic rivers. Lake Iliamna, located in the North of the region, is the largest freshwater lake in Alaska” (3). Increasingly less attention is being paid to this pristine environment and more attention is being directed at what is underneath this complex tangle of ecosystems. The Bristol Bay area is on the verge of becoming the newest gold rush. One mining company, Northern Dynasty Minerals, has proposed to establish a mine in the area and has valued the region to be worth over $100 billion dollars in minerals and precious metals. The proposed mine is called the Pebble Mine and come under close scrutiny and debate. Although the Pebble Mine would create new jobs and potentially billions of dollars it should not be built because of the negative impact it will have on the Bristol Bay Fisheries, the environment, and the culture of the surrounding areas.

The economy of Bristol Bay, like the rest of the state of Alaska, is unique when compared to the rest of the United States. Because of the abundant natural environment and plentiful natural resources, this region supports itself on the renewable resources that can be gathered from the land. Besides the jobs provided by the Bristol Bay Native Corporation and the government, the majority of the people who live in this area make their living from commercial and subsistence fishing. The Alaska Department of Fish and game reported that in the 2007 fishing season 31, 615, 500 fish were caught in Bristol Bay. The Department of Fish and Game also reported that from the amount earned in the 2007 fishing season was $108,325,697. For the 8,000 residents, the human population as reported by the Bristol Bay Native Corporation, of this vast region, fishing supplies them with their livelihood and is a staple of the economy. The entire economy is based on the yearly fish yield (1).

The Pebble Mine Project is proposed by Northern Dynasty Minerals, a Canadian based company that has conducted exploratory drilling in the Bristol Bay region since 2004 (Northern Dynasty Minerals, 1). In a report to potential investors, Northern Dynasty Minerals described the Pebble mine as ‘attractive’ to partners and stated that “Alaska is open for business “because of its “track record for permitting large scale mines” (Mikitchook 2005). Northern Dynasty Minerals also reported that the construction of the Pebble Mine would create 2,000 construction jobs for Alaskans and 1,000 permanent jobs. Also, the Pebble Mine Project promises to, “generate economic benefits and jobs for three to four generations” (Truth About Pebble). The introduction of this new industry to the Bristol Bay region would diversify the local economy and create news jobs. The diversification of the economy would mean that that region would not have to rely strictly on fishing.


Subsistence fishing has been the livelihood of the Bristol Bay region long before Alaska was a state, even before the United States was a country. The Pebble Mine promising to provide jobs for three to four generations is trite compared to the long history Bristol Bay and its people have had with fishing. Also, the people of the Bristol Bay region have been subsisting off the land for generations. The materials the Pebble Mine would mine are nonrenewable and would eventually run out. The duration a metal mine can sustain production ranges from 10-15 years (Power 2). Also the introduction and application of new technology is constantly replacing mine workers with machines (Power 2). Mines also decrease the socioeconomic status of communities and regions, hindering the economy, because economic development near mines is rare (Power 2). The fish caught by the Bristol Bay fisheries, however, are a renewable resource and regenerate every year.

Bristol Bay is home to one of the most pure, untouched natural environments in the world. The minimal human impact in the area has caused it to remain wild and to be a haven for plants and animals. It also is home to two of the largest freshwater lakes in Alaska, Lake Iliamna and Lake Clark. These lakes are connected to Bristol Bay by multiple rivers. Upper Talarik Creek flows into Lake Iliamna which then flows into the Kvichak River and into Bristol Bay (Sherwonit). The Koktuli River flows into the Mulchantn River and the Mulchant River meets up with the Nushagak River before ending in Bristol Bay (Sherwonit). This system of rivers is very important to the environment of the area and the yearly spawning of salmon in the area. Northern Dynasty Minerals has proposed the location of the Pebble mine to be at the headwaters of Upper Talarik Creek and the Kvichak River. April Dembosky from Mother Jones reported that, the Pebble Mine requires a large amount of water for it to function; it also will create hazardous waste that has the potential to run-off into ground water and the rivers. She also stated that the Pebble mine is reported to be capable of producing, “3 billion tons of waste replete with cyanide, arsenic, and mercury, all in a pristine Alaskan watershed critical to the state's salmon and trout fisheries” (Mother Jones 2).

The monumental impact that the mine could have on the environment and the river system of Bristol Bay could cause major problems to the health, the wildlife and the people that live downriver from the mine. Historically large mines have had devastating effects on the environment and the health of people who live around them. If the plan goes through, Northern Dynasty Minerals hopes to, “build the largest open pit mine in North America” (Northern Dynasty Minerals 4). This mine will also come with processing facilities and a tailing pond. The tailing pond will hold all of the toxic waste produced by the mine forever. The next part of Northern Dynasty Minerals plan is to build a 75 mile industrial road which as will cross miles of very crucial salmon spawning streams and rivers (Bristol Bay Alliance). This road is planned to be in use for 30 years, and is very likely to affect the streams and the local environment. The Bristol Bay Alliance also reports that the blasting from the construction and everyday use of the mine will affect the streams and bodies of water in the area, because the location of the mine is in a ‘high wind area’ which will cause excess debris to blow into the water. The mine will also impact essential salmon spawning areas such as the drainages of the Mulchatna and Kvichak Rivers. University of Washington Professor of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, Thomas P. Quinn, argued at the Pacific Marine Expo 2007 that was held Nov. 16-18 in Seattle that “certain direct impacts are that unpaved roads will fail, that culverts will erode and become impassible, chemicals will spill, people will make mistakes and trivial fines will be a small cost of doing business” (Bauman 2007).

For salmon to successfully spawn and reproduce they need to return to the river that they were born in. The process salmon go through when spawning is very complex. Salmon can migrate up to 50 days and 50 kilometers to reach their final spawning grounds (Young, 2007). Since Bristol Bay has one of the largest salmon fisheries in the world, the rivers that empty in to it (the Kvichak, Koktuli, Mulchant, Nushagak, and Upper Talarik Creek) are all vital to the survival of the salmon. If there is a change in the chemical makeup and flow of these rivers there will be a change in the salmon and the salmon population size. Since the people of Bristol Bay and environment rely on salmon for survival, any altercation in the rivers would have drastic effects. Also, an accidental chemical spill or run-off could ruin the environment of the area and cause lasting irreversible damage.

Northern Dynasty Minerals has made many statements regarding the environmental impact of the Pebble Mine on its official website. The company says that it will follow all state laws regarding the environment and that it will also leave it up to the state government to inspect and make sure that these regulations are met. However, if the Pebble Mine is constructed, there is likelihood that more mines will be constructed in the region, creating a mining district with huge environmental impacts and implications. The authorization of the construction of the Pebble mine is a threat not only to the area that it will occupy and the areas it approximates, but also to the rest of the state.

Like the economy and environment, the Bristol Bay region also has a unique culture. The Native people that live in the area live in small close-knit villages and live modest subsistence lifestyles. The role of the environment and fishing is crucial to their culture. The construction of a huge mine will have a great impact on the lifestyles of the villages. These unique and indigenous cultures that are so closely linked to the environment are endangered by companies like Northern Dynasty Minerals because they pose a threat to very aspect of their way of life. If the Pebble Mine is constructed it will have a substantial affect on the culture of Bristol Bay.

Environmental and cultural concerns aside, the debate over the construction of the Pebble Mine is fiercely political. The permit process for the construction of mines in the state of Alaska has fallen under close scrutiny because of the Pebble Mine. Gabrielle LeDoux, a state representative for House District 36 and co-chair of the House Committee on Community and Regional Affairs said, “The problem with the argument of letting the permitting process take its course is that this argument assumes that we actually have in this state a rigorous permitting process. Unfortunately, our previous governor, Frank Murkowski, ‘gamed’ the system in favor of development, regardless of its affect on the environment…The existing fishing industry and the residents of the area deserve a permitting process based on sound science and a full and open public process” (Bristol Bay Times 551). To make matters more complicated the Association of ANCSA Regional Corp. Presidents and CEOs and the Alaska Federation of Natives joined to file a suit against the new mining initiatives proposed to protect fisheries from toxins produced by mines. The initiatives were proposed to stop the construction of the Pebble Mine. The Native groups claim that the initiatives are unconstitutional. James Halpin reports the Native corporations claim the, “initiatives violate federal law because they would prevent Native corporations from developing their mineral resources.” Halpin elaborates on the proposed initiatives explaining that they “would ban releasing a toxic pollutant in a measurable amount that will affect human health or welfare or any stage of the life cycle of salmon into surface or underground water. They would also prohibit mines from storing or disposing of mining waste or tailings that could release acids, dissolved metals, toxic pollutants or other compounds to waters used by people or by salmon” ( Anchorage Daily News 2007).



The jobs and revenue the Pebble mine will generate can in no way compare to the the assets that the Bristol Bay region already has. As being home to one of the largest salmon fisheries in the world and millions of square miles of untouched wilderness, Bristol Bay already has a profitable and renewable industry that complements its culture and subsistence way of life. Despite the environmental promises made by Northern Dynasty LTD, lawmakers like Gabrielle LeDoux sum up the risks associated with the construction of the pebble mine perfectly by stating, “no matter how many promises are made relating to safety of the operation, there is always the possibility of human error or natural disaster. After all, they said the Titanic was unsinkable” (Bristol Bay Times 551). Endangering the last wild salmon fishery and the pristine environment of the Bristol Bay region by constructing one of the largest mines in North America up river is illogical and very dangerous. The economy, environment, and culture of Bristol Bay need to be acknowledged and protected.




References
Alaska. Dept. of Fish and Game Division of commercial Fisheries. Bristol Bay Fisheries. Alaska: Alaska Dept. or Fish and Game. 19 Sept. 2007 http://www.cf.adfg.state.ak.us/region2/finfish/salmon/bbay/brbpos07.pdf

Bauman, Margaret. “Pebble prompts Seattle debate” The Alaska Journal of Commerce. 19 Nov. 2007

Bristol Bay Native Corporation. Our Land. 2007.

Canada. Northern Dynasty Minerals, Pebble Mine. 5 Nov 2007.

Dembosky, April (May/June 2006). Minions of Midas. Mother Jones 31, Retrieved October 28, 2007, from EBSCOhost Research Database (21301342)

Halpin, James. “Native groups sue state to try to halt Pebble ballot initiatives.” The Anchorage Daily News. 20 Nov. 2007

LeDoux, Gabrielle. “Re-examining the state's mine permit process.” The Bristol Bay Times. 26 Oct. 2007 story 551

Mikitchook, Andrew. (2005 Oct). Pebble Deposit: Misunderstood and Under evaluated. Westwind Partners Inc, Retrieved October 28, 2007. Form Google Scholar Database (http://www.northerndynastyminerals.com/i/pdf/NDM_2005-10-03_Westwind.PDF)

Opdyke, Jeff D. “In Alaskan Battle, a money manager decided to go green.” Wall Street Journal Mar. 2007. 249. Academic Search Premier. EBSCOhost. http://search.epnet.com.

Power, Thomas Michael. “The Role Of Metal Mining in the Alaskan Economy.” Southeast Alaskan Conservation council and Northern Alaska environmental c enter. (2002): par 8, http://www.seacc.org/Publications/MetalMiningReport.doc

Sherwonit, Bill. (2001 Jul/Aug). Alaska: A Peak Experience. National Parks 75, Retrieved October 28, 2007, from EBSCOhost Research Database (4751183)

Truth About Pebble. Jobs and Benefits of Alaskans. 2006-2007. http://www.truthaboutpebble.org/AboutPebble/JobsForAlaskans/tabid/562/Defaul t.aspx

Young D, Woody C. (June 2007). Dynamic In-Lake Spawning Migrations by Female Sockeye Salmon. Ecology of Freshwater Fish, Retrieved November 9, 2007, from EBSCOhost Research Database (24976995)