Officials with the Enviornmental Protection Agency took public comment Thursday in Seattle concerning the potential environmental impacts of a possible mining project on the watershed of Bristol Bay.
The main topic of discussion was the Pebble Mine project.
Nearly a thousand Washington State fishermen are licensed to work in Bristol Bay, and several voiced opposition to the mine.
Another hearing is scheduled to be held Monday in Anchorage. It's the first in a series of Alaska public forums at which concerns about Pebble and the Bristol Bay watershed will be discussed.
The Pebble Partnership took issue with the location of Thursday's hearing.
Spokesman Mike Heatwole said "we find it highly ironic that on this major Alaska issue, that the first hearing of this draft, watershed assessment by the E-P-A is being held in Seattle, of all places. Now next week there'll be opportunities for Alaskans to be heard on this matter.".
At 15 to 30 square miles, Pebble would be the biggest mine of any kind in Alaska. With an estimated 107 million ounces of gold, it could well become the largest gold mine in the entire world.
Its copper and molybdenum deposits are so rich, it would single-handedly double U.S. production of those two metals.
It would also be located next to one of the richest salmon fisheries anywhere in the world. Each summer, 30 to 40 million salmon return to streams in the Bristol Bay watershed to spawn.
The Pebble Mine would have to adhere to some of the toughest environmental regulations ever imposed on a mine. For example, if the mine harms salmon runs on one stream, it must make up for that loss by restoring runs on another stream.
But environmentalists point out that while this scheme may help maintain high numbers of salmon, it will diminish their genetic diversity.
The reason mines like Pebble are potentially profitable is that the metals they mine are used in a variety of modern devices. If you use a computer or a smartphone, or if you undergo a medical procedure that makes use of up-to-date surgical tools, then you're using substances that will be mined from Pebble.
If Pebble Mine is built, it is expected to create 2,000 construction jobs and 1,000 operating jobs, and the value of its precious metals is estimated at up to $500 billion at today's prices.
The salmon industry in Bristol Bay, however, is worth an estimated $120 million a year. Opponents of the mine point out that the salmon are a renewable resource that come back year after year, while they say Pebble would operate for at least 25 years, even if it is run in an environmentally responsible manner it would leave behind a permanent legacy.
Open pit mines often require underwater dumping of mine tailings, or waste. Opponents worry if Pebble is approved, a series of man-made lakes would have to be constructed right next to the Bristol Bay watershed. They fear that an earthquake could undermine a holding lake or that leaks could develop by other means.
The Pebble Partnership points out that it does not have a development plan, nor has it filed for any permits so there are no firm plans for impoundment lakes.
The Pebble Partnership, which supports construction of the mine, is looking forward to Monday's hearing in Anchorage. Partnership spokesperson Mike Heatwole believes it will be more all-encompassing than the one held in Seattle, which seemed to be heavily attended by opponents of the mine.
If Pebble is approved, it will not commence operations until 2017 at the earliest. It would remain in operation at least through 2040.
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