Arguments against the proposal[

• Opponents to the mine point out that it is about jobs—current sustainable fishing (world class fishery) vs. unknown future jobs which characteristically leave.
• The fish in the watershed, and the wildlife that depend on them, are too important to risk in exchange for the mine’s economic benefits.
• Accidental discharge of process chemicals and byproducts, heavy metals, and acid mine drainage to the environment are realistic concerns in mine design and operation. They are dangerous to fish and other wildlife. Downstream salmon and freshwater fish species are vulnerable to mine-generated pollutants.^[71] A threat to the fish would amount to a threat to the regional subsistence lifestyle.
• According to the EPA, mining has contaminated portions of the headwaters of over 40 percent of watersheds in the western continental U.S., and reclamation of 500,000 abandoned mines in 32 states could cost tens of billions of dollars.^[72]
• A recent study of 25 modern large hard rock metal mines compared water quality outcomes with environmental impact statement () predictions from the permitting stage. 76 percent (19 mines) of the 25 mines violated water quality standards in releases to either surface or groundwater. In this study “violated water quality standards” does not necessarily mean that the mines failed to abide by their permits. When the 15 mines with high acid-drainage, high contaminant leaching potential and proximity to ground water are considered separately, this number is 93% (14 mines).^[73][74]
• A report commissioned by opponents criticizes for community, worker safety, public health, and environmental problems at their mining operations in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Mali, Ireland, and Nevada and notes the difference between ’s stated corporate goals and their actual corporate performance.^[75]
• Groundtruthtrekking.org claimed that earthquake hazards in the area are poorly known, and preliminary plans by the mining company do not prepare adequately for the potential risk.^[76]

Economic

• The mineral rights and the project are controlled by Canadian, British, Australian and Japanese corporations.^[77]
• The mine may not provide significant tax revenue to the state. Due to Alaska’s tax structure, oil and gas drilling returns over 20% of resource value to the state and municipalities, fishing returns 1% to 5%, and mining returns approximately 1.5%.^[78] However, considering the mine contains over $500 Billion in resources,^[79] this 1.5% tax amounts to a maximum of $7.5 Billion in tax revenue over the course of the mine’s operationor or $166 million/year or some four times the commercial tax budget in 2011 ($43 million).^[80] The annual revenue potential of the mine is yet unknown, and consequently so is the tax revenue to the State.^[78][81]

Shared and Commented! 
Follow the link, there are a lot of words on the page, but the place to comment is on the top right of your screen and says “Comment Here.” It doesn’t require your personal information to comment, but you can submit it with your e-mail for a ‘receipt.’

If you can’t think of what to say here’s mine:
“I am opposed to the proposal to withdraw from the 2014 Proposed Determination that protects Bristol Bay.

This proposal threatens the preservation and continuation of a waterway vital to the health of a key species. Its destruction via the byproducts of the mining process would result in the decimation of the local fishing industry and create cascading destructive effects on ecosystems upstream that depend upon healthy Sockeye Salmon spawning runs.

Please continue to ensure the well-being of this vital waterway by enforcing the EPA region 10 July 2014 Proposed Determination.”

I feel our arguments are unconvincing to people of the opposing worldview we want to convince if we don’t mention the human factor and only talk about the fish.

Also, we need to make clear that the short term gains outweigh the long term risks ,as this is an earthquake heavy region ( Mining is unlikely to make earthquakes worse, this isn’t fracking but mining of metal.) (However) earthquakes are a huge reason this place is risky to mine and increases the difficulty of storing hazardous waste.)

And can we really trust foreign companies to take the appropriate precautions to protect the way of life of US citizens? scratch that, I think I might have channeled my inner xenophobe there.

@allthecanadianpolitics

Just raising awareness won’t be enough to change anything, so here is a handy form letter you can copy (and change a few words on to make it look less “form”). Just paste this baby into the link to the EPA docket above and you will have done your part!!!

Dear Administrator,

I’m writing in reference to Docket # EPA-HQ-ORD-2012-0276. Please prohibit the disposal of mine waste in Alaska’s Bristol Bay watershed. The proposed Pebble Mine presents a long-term risk to the sustainability of this important fishery, and all the people and businesses that rely on it. In 2010, Bristol Bay salmon fishermen harvested 29 million sockeye salmon worth $165 million in direct harvest value alone. That represented 31% of the total Alaska salmon harvest value.

Many families rely on wild salmon as a uniquely nutritious source of protein, rich in essential omega-3 fats and vitamin D. Farmed salmon is not nutritionally identical (much lower in vitamin D, much higher in saturated fats and pro-inflammatory omega-6 fats) and poses its own environmental risks. I urge the EPA to take immediate action to use existing provisions of the Clean Water Act to protect this large and irreplaceable wild salmon fishery.

Sincerely, YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS

Please! If you are a Canadian resident,please take 5 minutes and send an email. It will help save our sockeye salmon habitat!

I personally advocate tinkering with the pasted examples like this to get past any software for detecting duplicats (which the FCC recently claimed to use).For example here’s my current rough draft, with notes in commentary that I created using riseagainphoenix’s base. :

I’m writing in reference to Docket # EPA-HQ-ORD-2012-0276. Please prohibit the storage and/or disposal of mine waste in Alaska’s Bristol Bay watershed. The proposed Pebble Mine presents a long-term risk to the sustainability of this important fishery, and all the people and businesses that rely on it. In 2010, Bristol Bay salmon fishermen harvested 29 million sockeye salmon worth $165 million in direct harvest value alone. That represented 31% of the total Alaska salmon harvest value.The Bristol Bay 2017 harvest of all salmon species was 39.8 million fish; ranking second over the last 20 years (1997–2016) and worth a preliminary exvessel value of $214.6 million almost double the 20-year average of $108.9 million and ranks second during that time frame , as reported by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game Division of Commercial Fisheries.

Mines come and go, but leave waste behind from the processing of ore, which under current methods is stored on-site for centuries. Bristol Bay is an earthquake heavy region making it almost certain that storage of tailings (toxic semi-liquid mine waste) will fail.  January 24, of last year, Southcentral Alaska experienced a 7.1 magnitude earthquake that cracked roadways. It should be noted that this would be classified as a major earthquak capable of causing serious damage.(Cite earthquake?, talk about extent of fault lines) In Bristol bay, this waste would most likely be Acid Mine Drainage due to oxidation of unearthed pyrite,  or “fool’s gold” which is often found in conjunction with valuable metals

Bristol Bay  has been called  the  “Salmon factory of the world”, offers five species of Salmon: King, Sockeye, Chum, Pink and SilverSalmon along with 7 species of fresh water fish: Rainbow Trout, Arctic Char, Arctic Grayling, Dolly Varden, Lake Troutand Northern Pike.Many families rely on wild salmon as a uniquely nutritious source of protein, rich in essential omega-3 fats and vitamin D. Farmed salmon is not nutritionally identical (much lower in vitamin D, much higher in saturated fats and pro-inflammatory omega-6 fats) and poses its own environmental risks. I urge the EPA to take immediate action to use existing provisions of the Clean Water Act to protect this large and irreplaceable wild salmon fishery. The short-term gains of mining projects in the area outweighed by the long term risk to the environment and the economy. Please continue to ensure the well-being of this vital waterway by enforcing the EPA region 10 July 2014 Proposed Determination.”

Sincerely, YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS

@allthecanadianpolitics

Just raising awareness won’t be enough to change anything, so here is a handy form letter you can copy (and change a few words on to make it look less “form”). Just paste this baby into the link to the EPA docket above and you will have done your part!!!

Dear Administrator,

I’m writing in reference to Docket # EPA-HQ-ORD-2012-0276. Please prohibit the disposal of mine waste in Alaska’s Bristol Bay watershed. The proposed Pebble Mine presents a long-term risk to the sustainability of this important fishery, and all the people and businesses that rely on it. In 2010, Bristol Bay salmon fishermen harvested 29 million sockeye salmon worth $165 million in direct harvest value alone. That represented 31% of the total Alaska salmon harvest value.

Many families rely on wild salmon as a uniquely nutritious source of protein, rich in essential omega-3 fats and vitamin D. Farmed salmon is not nutritionally identical (much lower in vitamin D, much higher in saturated fats and pro-inflammatory omega-6 fats) and poses its own environmental risks. I urge the EPA to take immediate action to use existing provisions of the Clean Water Act to protect this large and irreplaceable wild salmon fishery.

Sincerely, YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS

Please! If you are a Canadian resident,please take 5 minutes and send an email. It will help save our sockeye salmon habitat!

@allthecanadianpolitics

Just raising awareness won’t be enough to change anything, so here is a handy form letter you can copy (and change a few words on to make it look less “form”). Just paste this baby into the link to the EPA docket above and you will have done your part!!!

Dear Administrator,

I’m writing in reference to Docket # EPA-HQ-ORD-2012-0276. Please prohibit the disposal of mine waste in Alaska’s Bristol Bay watershed. The proposed Pebble Mine presents a long-term risk to the sustainability of this important fishery, and all the people and businesses that rely on it. In 2010, Bristol Bay salmon fishermen harvested 29 million sockeye salmon worth $165 million in direct harvest value alone. That represented 31% of the total Alaska salmon harvest value.

Many families rely on wild salmon as a uniquely nutritious source of protein, rich in essential omega-3 fats and vitamin D. Farmed salmon is not nutritionally identical (much lower in vitamin D, much higher in saturated fats and pro-inflammatory omega-6 fats) and poses its own environmental risks. I urge the EPA to take immediate action to use existing provisions of the Clean Water Act to protect this large and irreplaceable wild salmon fishery.

Sincerely, YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS

Do they have software for screening out formletters nowadays?

On one hand I could belive such a thing, on the other hand when it comes to electronic communications our government isn’t very savy.