Are shareholders more important than Alaskans?
What could go wrong if the pebbled mining company is allowed to built the world’s largest mine in Bristol Bay, Alaska.
The salmon growth at Bristol Bay, are the most important source of food and income for many native Alaskans. Although Salmon are an essential source of food and income for Alaskans, there is a high risk that they could lost both their food and income source. If a mine is built at Bristol bay the water will be contaminated and all the salmon will die. Bristol Bay is of great importance because forty six percent of the world’s salmon supply comes from Bristol bay. If all salmon die Alaskans will lost their jobs and their main source of food and income. Building a mine in Bristol bay, Alaska will be a catastrophe because it will deeply impact the environment and Alaskans lives.
The pebble mining company has previously submitted applications for permission to mine in Bristol bay. The president Obama created the Clean Water Act to protect the habitat of salmon and Alaskan lifestyle. According to Drew Griffin, Scott Bronstein and John D. Sutter, ”In 2014, after three years of peer-reviewed study, the Obama administration’s EPA invoked a rarely used provision of the Clean Water Act to try to protect Bristol Bay after finding that a mine would result in complete loss of fish habitat due to elimination, dewatering, and fragmentation of streams, wetlands, and other aquatic resources in some areas of the bay.” This quote shows that the Obama’s administration created the Clean Water Act with the vision to protect the environment and Alaskan most important survival source. Because of the new EPA administrator the fate of salmon and native Alaskans is unknown.
EPA administrator Scott Pruitt took the decision to withdraw the Clean Water Act that used to protect Bristol bay from mining, he followed the law but didn’t consider environmental risks. Clearly EPA administrator doesn’t seem to be very concern about the irretrievable affects a mine will produce to the environment. According to Helen Cherullo, “ On July 11, 2017, in an abrupt about-face, the EPA is seeking to withdraw these suggested protections to clear the path for the development of large-scale mining on state and federal lands.” The author is saying it was easy for Scott Pruitt to withdraw Obama’s the Clean Water Act because Pruitt argues that the Clean water Act is unconstitutional. He thinks this act deprives mining companies from having a due process.
Although the Pebble Mining CEO argues that a mine will not affect the environment as scientist had said, there are many people that disagrees him. For instance alaska’s governor Bill Walker said, “I have spoken to Administrator Pruitt about the Pebble Mine Project many times in the past year, and I have shared with him my belief that in the Bristol Bay region we should prioritize the resource that has sustained generations and must continue to do so in perpetuity. I thank the Environmental Protection Agency and the Trump Administration for listening to my input, as well as the input of thousands of Alaskans who oppose rescinding the EPA’s Bristol Bay assessment.” — Governor Bill Walker. This quote shows that there are many people that know the importance of salmon to native alaskan and the wild reproduction that takes place in the pristine waters of bristol bay.
Building a mine in bristol bay, alaska will be a catastrophe because it will deeply impact the environment and alaskans lives. A mine should not be builded in bristol bay because it will negatively impact the environment and native alaskans life. According to Cherullo, “ For years, commercial fishermen and women, tribes, sportsmen and women, tourism operators, chefs, and Bristol Bay’s business owners have fought against this proposed mining development. Bristol Bay salmon are integral to food security worldwide and critical locally, where subsistence accounts for an average of 80 percent of the protein area residents consume, and salmon make up over half of the subsistence harvest. I can choose a different dinner but in Bristol Bay, salmon is life.” In conclusion there are many people that oppose to building a mine in bristol bay and therefore the will of people should be respected because this issue is not just about money it is about people’s lifestyle and cultures and the way native alaskans had survived for thousands of years.
