pebble3

Mining’s Track Record:
In the question period, this came up as a major point of contention between questioners (describing mining’s track record as “pathetic”) and Northern Dynasty officials (insisting that environmental problems occured only at old or third world mines). It’s easy for both sides to come up with examples to support their cause. There are certainly some very new mines in the U.S. and Canada that have caused major environmental problems (Summitville, 1980s, Gilt Edge, 1988, Grouse Creek, 1994, Jordan Creek, 1997, etc…). But Northern Dynasty can also find new mines that haven’t yet caused any problems (like the Gibraltar seepage pond with the large trout from their example slides).
So lets look at some statistics. This data comes from the EPA’s most recent “Sector Notebook Project” report on the metal mining industry, from 1995.
For nine states, over a 5 year period, the EPA looked at unpermitted releases from mines. These are releases of pollutants and contaminants not allowed by the mine permits. And as they do not include tailings dam breaches or spills of tailings, they are an underestimate.
Out of 237 mines in these nine states, 87 of them had unpermitted releases recorded by the EPA (37%). .
In another measure, the EPA looked at inspections and violations for the most recent year (1995).
This text is quoted from their report: “Over half of the facilities inspected were cited for a violation. The metal mining industry also represented the greatest percentage of facilities with enforcement actions taken, at 19 percent.” (relative to other industries)
This is despite the fact that: “The metal mining industry had one of the lowest numbers of inspections among those industries represented, as well as the highest average number of months between inspections.”

http://www.aktrekking.com/pebble/news/NorthernDynastyMeeting11-15.html

http://www.aktrekking.com/pebble/index.html

A partnership pushing development of a huge copper and gold mine near some of the world’s best wild salmon and trout streams has hired away a top state official.

The Pebble Partnership announced Monday that Ken Taylor, a deputy commissioner at the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, is going to work for them. Taylor will be the partnership’s vice president for the environment.

“Ultimately, I wouldn’t have accepted this position if I didn’t believe in the Pebble Partnership’s commitment to go beyond mere compliance with regulation to develop a project that sets new standards for environmental performance in Alaska,”

At the Pebble Partnership, we’ve said that ‘fish come first,’ and we won’t pursue development of this project if it places Alaska’s fisheries and wildlife at risk. Ken shares that commitment, and it will be his first responsibility — providing senior leadership to our environmental, technical and engineering teams — to help design a project that achieves that goal…

Terry Hoefferle, executive director of Nunamta Aulukestai, an association of eight Native village corporations in Bristol Bay, said the mining industry has never been able to operate a sulfide mine that did not damage the environment, in some cases killing “every fish for hundreds and hundreds of miles downstream.”

The mine and the huge earthen dams that will be needed to store rock waste are in an earthquake prone area….

http://newsminer.com/news/2008/jul/21/pebble-pro-mining-group-hires-alaska-fish-and-game/

http://www.usgs.gov/science/science.php?term=750&type=theme

Dangerous conditions which result from the extraction of naturally occurring mineral deposits. Includes tunnel collapses, fires, and explosions.

www.dced.state.ak.us/oed/minerals/mining.htm