Issues & Responses
In an effort to convince the public to oppose the Pebble Project and deny it a fair hearing under Alaskan law, a number of inaccurate claims are being made. To dispel this misinformation, The Pebble Partnership would like to take this opportunity to address some of the many issues surrounding the development of Pebble, and to once again stress that we are committed to developing the Pebble Project in a socially and environmentally responsible manner.
- Can fishing and mining co-exist?
- Will tailings at Pebble be harmful to the environment?
- Do a majority of Alaskans support the Pebble Project proceeding through the state permitting process?
Can fishing and mining co-exist?
Definitely. Alaska has a long, rich history of mining activity and boasts some of the healthiest fish stocks in the world. Following 100 years of mineral development and 50 years of oil and gas development, Alaska today is recognized as a global leader in responsible resource use.
In many cases, mining activity actually enhances fish habitat and fish production. This is the case at the Fort Knox mine near Fairbanks, where mine development has vastly increased natural populations of grayling and burbot.
Perhaps the best example of the co-existence of mining and fishing is the Fraser River in British Columbia (Canada). The Fraser River is the second largest salmon-producing system in the world, with sockeye runs that rival the world famous Bristol Bay fishery.
Despite the presence of eight active and 64 historic metal mines, mining has never been shown to have a negative impact on the Fraser River salmon fishery.
Will tailings at Pebble be harmful to the environment?
No. The vast majority of material to be stored in the tailings facility at the proposed Pebble mine is natural. It will consist of ground up rock, water and minute traces of compounds used in the milling process.
Over time, the ground-up rock will consolidate into a solid mass. Tailings solids will be covered by a relatively shallow pool of water set well back (more than 1,000 feet) from the edge of the embankment.
At other mines similar to Pebble, tailings water is pure enough to support healthy fish populations, and is safe for human and wildlife consumption. The Pebble Partnership is working hard to achieve similar water quality at Pebble.
Finally, the rock embankments built to contain tailings material at Pebble will be among the most stable structures known to man. They will be designed and built with multiple seepage control and monitoring features to ensure that tailings water does not enter the downstream environment.
Tailings embankments at Pebble will also be built to withstand seismic events larger than could actually happen in Alaska.
Do a majority of Alaskans support the Pebble Project proceeding through the state permitting process?
Yes. A recent poll revealed that 78.8% of Alaskans support moving forward with the process for Pebble.
The Alaska House Finance Committee commissioned Hellenthal and Associates, the polling firm of record for the Renewable Resources Coalition, to conduct the Alaska Statewide Public Opinion Research Survey on March 5-18, 2007. The poll asked 403 Alaskans questions that ranged from budget priorities to state ownership of an Alaska gas pipeline.
The survey included a question asking respondents if they favored or opposed "going forward with environmental impact studies for the proposed Pebble Mine to determine whether or not the mine could be developed in a responsible manner." The poll revealed that 78.8% of Alaskans support moving forward with the process for Pebble - about the same amount of Alaskan support for opening ANWR to oil and gas development.
