Help Protect Alaska's Bristol Bay From Pebble Mine
Imagine an open pit mine in the remote wilds of Alaska that covers an area 50 percent larger than Manhattan, with dams the height of Hoover Dam, and the potential to hold more than 7 billion tons of waste.
That is exactly what could happen if foreign-owned companies are allowed to build the proposed Pebble Mine in Alaska's Bristol Bay watershed. This pristine system of rivers and lakes is home to the largest runs of sockeye salmon in the world. These salmon support recreational sport fishing and allow Native Alaskans to maintain their centuries-old way of life.
The future of these remarkably productive and irreplaceable Alaska lands could be changed forever by the prospective Pebble Mine or other large-scale mining activities, unless the Obama administration decides to protect the rivers and wetlands of the region.
We only have until May 31. Please ask President Obama to protect Alaska's Bristol Bay from Pebble Mine and other large-scale mining operations.
Dear President Obama,
In the coming months, your administration will make an important decision that could determine whether the proposed Pebble Mine or other vast, open-pit operations will be built in Alaska's Bristol Bay watershed. The area's pristine rivers and lakes are home to world-class salmon runs that support recreational sport fishing and allow Native Alaskans to maintain their centuries-old way of life.
I want to thank the Environmental Protection Agency for exercising caution and conducting an assessment under the Clean Water Act to determine the potential impact that Pebble Mine and other industrial operations would have on fisheries and wildlife, Native cultures, and the estimated $480 million in direct economic activity annually for the region. Recently, more than 300 leading scientists expressed "deep concerns" about the prospect of large-scale mining in the Bristol Bay watershed.
[Your comments here]
Please use sound science and your authority under the Clean Water Act to protect one of America's last great wild places.
Sincerely,
[Your comments here]
