This mine would destroy North America’s biggest salmon run — and so much more

This mine would destroy North America’s biggest salmon run — and so much more

Alaska’s Bristol Bay is an irreplaceable wild place. It’s home to one of the world’s largest salmon runs, sheltering tens of millions of fish as they spawn. Around the vibrant waters, Alaskan tundra blooms into a rich wetland home to hundreds of species of birds and land animals.1

 

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A massive open-pit mine could destroy this beautiful place.

But just upstream, a company wants to dig the largest open-pit mine in North America, which would do irreparable damage to Bristol Bay. And in April, a court failed to rule against the mine, which means, despite how destructive it could be, there’s still a real possibility this project could happen.2,3

It’s time to put a stop to this wildly irresponsible project and protect this special place forever. Tell the Army Corps of Engineers: Say no to Pebble Mine and save Bristol Bay.

Bristol Bay needs our protection.

Each year, all five types of North American salmon pour into Bristol Bay, and up the rivers that feed it, to spawn. After sheltering and growing here for their first few years, the offspring return to the Bering Sea.

The ecosystem that has blossomed around the bay and its rivers revolves around the ebb and flow of the salmon. Wolves, grizzly bears and 190 kinds of birds live and feed here. The wetlands are rich with life in a way few might imagine the far north could be.4

If the gold and copper deposit that sits upstream is fully exploited, Pebble’s open pits could cover an area the size of Manhattan. Blowing open that much tundra would block and drain many of the streams and wetlands so important to the salmon’s reproduction.5

The Army Corps of Engineers is going to release its final environmental impact statement this summer, which could have a big impact on whether the project lives or dies. And the fact that a judge just ruled against mine opponents means that the possibility of this mine getting approved is very real.6

Together we can stop this toxic threat.

One thing we now know about mines is that they leach toxic metals. In the U.S. alone, researchers have found that 50 million tons of wastewater loaded with toxic metals flow from mining sites every day, nearly half of which enters nearby waterways.7

If toxic metals flow downstream from Pebble Mine into the salmon-rich Bristol Bay, that could seriously threaten the salmon run and, consequently, the countless wildlife that rely on the salmon to survive.

Together, we need to take action to stop Pebble Mine and save Bristol Bay.

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  1. “About Bristol Bay,” Environmental Protection Agency, last accessed October 16, 2019.
  2. “An Assessment of Potential Mining Impacts on Salmon Ecosystems of Bristol Bay, Alaska — Executive Summary,” Environmental Protection Agency, January 14, 2014.
  3. Liz Ruskin, “Foes of Pebble Mine lose a round in court,” Alaska Public Media, April 17, 2020.
  4. “About Bristol Bay,” Environmental Protection Agency, last accessed October 16, 2019.
  5. “An Assessment of Potential Mining Impacts on Salmon Ecosystems of Bristol Bay, Alaska — Executive Summary,” Environmental Protection Agency, January 14, 2014.
  6. Liz Ruskin, “Foes of Pebble Mine lose a round in court,” Alaska Public Media, April 17, 2020.
  7. “US Mines Unleash Millions of Gallons of Polluted Water Each Day,” Associated Press, February 21, 2019.