Conservationists, commercial fishers, sport fishers, and Alaska Natives have fought what is known colloquially as “The Pebble Mine” for years. Canadian mining company Northern Dynasty hopes to build this mine in the Bristol Bay Watershed of Alaska, in order to extract gold, copper, and molybdenum. Such mining operations exact a heavy toll upon the environment, and this particular mine would be one of the largest in the world.
Opponents expect the proposed mine t to have a massive, negative impact upon wild salmon and upon the many people, Native and Nonnative, who depend upon them. The Environmental Protection Agency confirmed this expectation in 2013. Subsequently, several major financial backers, including Northern Dynasty’s main partner, abandoned the project. One of them, Rio Tinto, gifted its shares to two nonprofits, one of which (BBNC Education Foundation) promotes Indigenous education and cultural preservation.
Despite such huge opposition, Northern Dynasty plans to move ahead with permit requests. With a new US President, who supports extractive industries at any cost, and an EPA director, who condemns his own agency’s regulatory powers, Northern Dynasty has reason to be hopeful their requests will be granted.
In 2014, filmmaker Mark Titus directed an award-winning documentary about the Pebble Mine and Pacific Salmon, titled The Breach. In the face of Northern Dynasty’s new push to advance their project, Titus has created another short, informative film. Please watch it, below. And if you already voiced opposition to the Pebble Mine, know that you must continue to do so. Even if you do not have ties to Alaska, opposition is important. In the current political environment, an environmentally devastating project like this may soon be proposed in your neck of the woods.
The Literary Fly Fisher 
May 31, 2017 at 9:24 AM |
It’s becoming difficult to keep mustering energy for the fight, particularly since I thought we had this one in the bag.
I never used to approve of monkey wrenching, but now I’m beginning to think it may have some virtue (if nothing else it must be cathartic…)
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June 1, 2017 at 10:47 AM |
I found myself thinking about monkey-wrenching a couple of nights ago. I was reading that book you loaned me, and it reminded me a bit of E. Abbey.
It really is crazy how we are seeing some really clear steps backward right now.
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