EPA says Pebble Mine could wipe out salmon streams, wetlands

[Blue_In_AK]

And yet Pebble has just designated $80 million for 2013 expenses http://pebblewatch.com/index.php/525-80-million-budgeted-for-pebble-project-in-2013


http://www.adn.com/2013/04/26/2880762/epa-says-pebble-could-wipe-out.html

WASHINGTON -- The Environmental Protection Agency says the proposed Pebble mine in Alaska could wipe out nearly 100 miles of streams and 4,800 acres of wetlands in one of the last places remaining in the world to support huge runs of wild salmon.

The EPA released its revised study Friday after considering an independent scientific review and 233,000 public comments. The new study backs the EPA's earlier finding that the proposed mine could do great damage in the Bristol Bay region of Alaska, home of the world's richest sockeye salmon fishery.

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Pebble advocates argue that mining and fishing can coexist in the Bristol Bay area and that the project would bring badly needed jobs. The Pebble Partnership says the deposit is one of the largest of its kind in the world, with the potential to produce 80.6 billion pounds of copper, 107.4 million ounces of gold and 5.6 billion pounds of molybdenum -- which is used to make stainless steel -- over the next three decades.

"We have spent the better part of 10 years working on designing a development plan for a mine at the Pebble deposit utilizing some of the premier mining engineers and environmental scientists in the world. The EPA has spent two short years on a desktop exercise," Shively said.

EPA said the study was an effort to have the best science possible on the effects of the proposed mine.

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Mark Begich says he opposes a pre-emptive veto of the Pebble mine or other projects and added "an open, public process that answers Alaskans' questions and puts better science on the table is a good thing." It's kind of ironic that he would oppose Frankenfish and yet give Pebble the benefit of the doubt on this disastrous mine plan.

Adding this to his stand on background checks, I'm finding it harder and harder to support him in 2014. I may have to leave this one blank or write someone in.

Please help us fight this catastophe waiting to happen.