Pebble Mine Alaska | The Case For and Against

For years now a proposed mining project on the Alaskan Peninsula about 200 miles southwest of Anchorage has been causing quite a stir. The project known as Pebble Mine is a proposed mineral exploration that aims at extracting porphyry copper, gold, and molybdenum in what would become one of largest open pit mines in the world. The proposed mine would sit near Lake Iliamna and the headwaters of the Kvichak and Nushagak Rivers, which flow into Bristol Bay, one of the most productive salmon runs in the world. As one can see this causes controversy as these waters support millions of dollars in industry and countless livelihoods. The Pebble Project is not only an issue in terms of industry, it also hosts numerous problems with environmental issues as well as with the native population. However in this day in age resources are becoming scarce, and the US depends heavily on foreign sources for the everyday resources we consume at massive rates. The proposed Pebble Project is certainly a large issue in Alaska, however in most of the lower 48 the project remains for the most part unknown. This article aims solely to inform, not persuade, as we bring you the facts behind one of the largest proposed mines of its kind in one of the most beautiful parts of the world, Alaska.

The case for the mine is quite simple, it would provide domestic resources, jobs, infrastructure, and a boost to not only the local economy, but the state and national economy as a whole. The United States uses a massive amount of resources, from fuel to building materials we use more than almost every other nation on earth. Yet we only produce a small percentage of the worlds resources, thus we depend largely on foreign sources for everything, hurting our economy in turn. The Pebble Project aims at curbing our dependence on foreign resources by extracting porphyry copper, gold, and molybdenum from the largest undeveloped porphyry copper deposit in the world. The estimated mineral endowment of the project is as follows:

• 80.6 billion pounds of Copper
• 5.6 billion pounds of Molybdenum
• 107.4 million ounces of Gold

In addition to the massive amount of resources located within the land are the jobs and stimulation to the economy the mine promises to bring. Over a thousand full time jobs for generations to come, opportunity for the lackluster economies in the region, and the potential to experiment with green energy practices in the area. The case for the mine is pretty solid on paper, however a lot more goes into such large propositions as the opposition points out.

While the Pebble Mine promises jobs and a boost to the local, state, and national economies, it also threatens jobs, industry, and livelihoods. The proposed project sits between Lake Iliamna and Lake Clark and the headwaters of the Kvichak and Nushagak Rivers, which in turn flow to Bristol Bay, home of one of the largest salmon runs in the world. The salmon runs in Bristol Bay and the surrounding region support a $500 billion commercial and sport fishing industry, that’s no small total. Run off from the Pebble Mine would almost inevitably taint the watersheds that drain into Bristol Bay, in turn threatening a massive industry and the jobs and livelihoods of those dependent on the yearly salmon runs. Aside from industry there are a whole slew of environmental issues that become raised with a proposed project of this size. The mine would span some 20 square miles on state owned land in the Bristol Bay watershed. Further more a massive dam would need to be constructed to contain the mines waste:

Located in a seismically active region, Pebble would require the world’s largest earthen dam to be built, some 700 feet high and several miles in length. Independent scientists have questioned whether the dam could withstand the force of a massive earthquake, such as the 9.2 quake that devastated Anchorage in 1964. – savebristolbay.org

The Pebble Project would be one of the worlds largest open pit mines requiring a massive dam just to hold back its own wast located right in the middle of one of the most gorgeous places on earth. And if that wasn’t enough a number of Native Alaskan communities have expressed concern about the Pebble Mine and have even gone as far as filing lawsuits to stop it. The same people and communities that the Pebble Project aim to help are seeking legal means in hopes of stopping the project. Salmon, the environment, and the people are the main arguments against the Pebble Mine, millions of dollars in industry could be lost, miles and miles of pristine wilderness destroyed, and countless livelihoods are threatened under the proposed Pebble Mine.

The Pebble Mine has the potential to pull billions of pounds of much needed resources from the earth, create over a thousand jobs, and stimulate the local, state, and national economy. At the same time it threatens a thriving salmon industry, hurts a pristine environment, and threatens the livelihoods of thousands of people in the area. In a time when domestic resources are becoming more and more limited, a project like the Pebble Mine is much needed. However at what cost do we threaten the environment and people of an area simply for minerals that can be found elsewhere. The Pebble Project is not simply a black and white issue, much goes into the decisions and outcomes of such a large project. So the question to you, is do you support or oppose the Pebble Mine?