The rushed environmental review of the largest open pit mine in North America threatens damage to Katmai and Lake Clark National Parks, brown bears and the world’s largest wild salmon run, for decades to come.
WASHINGTON – Today, less than a year after beginning review, the Army Corps of Engineers released its draft Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed Pebble Mine. Pebble Mine’s phase one mining plan would mine a 1-mile-wide and quarter-mile deep pit, destroying over 4,000 acres of wetlands and more than 21 miles of salmon streams.
In 2012, the Environmental Protection Agency warned that “mining the Pebble deposit would cause irreversible damage to one of the world’s last intact salmon ecosystems.”
Statement by Alex Johnson, Alaska Program Manager for National Parks Conservation Association
“The rushed environmental review threatens damage to Katmai and Lake Clark National Parks, including brown bears and the world’s largest wild salmon run, for decades to come. The lack of data in the Army Corps of Engineers’ analysis puts the billion-dollar Bristol Bay commercial salmon run in jeopardy, along with the recreational and subsistence fisheries that are the lifeblood of tribal and community members. The environmental analysis should be backed by sound science and public engagement, not deadlines connected to political timelines.
“NPCA has fought this proposal for years and will continue to partner with tribes and allies to prevent the disastrous mine from harming this spectacular region, its surrounding communities, and its vibrant salmon and bear populations.”
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About National Parks Conservation Association: Since 1919, the nonpartisan National Parks Conservation Association has been the leading voice in safeguarding our national parks. NPCA and its 1.3 million members and supporters work together to protect and preserve our nation’s most iconic and inspirational places for future generations. For more information, visit www.npca.org.
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