Alaska's future
BREAKING NEWS! The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has said that the federal Clean Water Act cannot be used to destroy Lower Slate Lake. Read the news release.
Alaskans deserve clean water and good jobs -- we can have both.
Alaska's clean water is one of our state's most important economic resources. Our top two private employers -- commercial fishing and tourism -- depend on clean water to provide income and sustenance to thousands of Alaskans.
Now, for the first time since Congress passed the Clean Water Act in 1972, the Army Corps of Engineers has authorized a mining corporation to dump millions of tons of toxic mine tailings directly into a pristine lake, killing all fish in the lake during mine operations.
Kensington Mine & Lower Slate Lake
Make no mistake. This sets a precedent for all of America's waters -- and if this precedent stands, it will threaten jobs and public health throughout our nation. Any place where people fish, hunt, camp, kayak, or just enjoy our great wild places may be affected adversely by this new approach to permitting the disposal of mine tailings.
Berners Bay is not the only special place in Alaska at risk. There is a proposal to develop the Pebble gold and copper mine near Lake Iliamna in Southwest Alaska's Bristol Bay watershed, home to the world's great salmon fishery. The Bristol Bay region holds the world's largest run of sockeye salmon and Alaska's largest run of Chinook salmon. The proposed Pebble Mine has raised serious concerns and drawn widespread opposition from Alaskans. The Kensington Mine would pave the way for the Pebble Mine.
The Berners Bay watershed is home to abundant wildlife including herring, eagles, Steller sea lions, seals, humpback whales, bears, moose, and wolves. As a result, recreational hunting, fishing, gathering, kayaking, air boating, camping and commercial tourism has increased in recent years. The bay is culturally significant to the Auk Kwaan, the original settlers of Juneau. Several ancient village sites remain.
Let's do it right at Kensington, Pebble, and other hard rock mines throughout the country.
