Comments by ddunaway
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Posted on February 26 at 10:26 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Its not just environmentalists but a LOT of local residents who fear a mine will ruin their fishing for subsistence, commerical, and sport and take down the econonmy we have now. Requiring mines to clean up their messes is a lot easier said than done. Poorly run mines or even unfortuante accidents at good mines can do permanent, long term damage that is extremely costly to repair - if it can be repaired at all. Look at Montana where citizens are stuck paying for treating toxic mine waste FOREVER at several closed mines. Better to not allow a mine to be built until they prove they have the proper information and technology.
Fort Knox has some of the best case situations regarding its ore quality. Available data on Pebble suggests a much higher toxic potential. Add to that its location on the divide of 2 great salmon production areas, one the greatest in the world. Ft Knox is on a watershed already trashed by mining in the early 1900's. Far different scales of risk.
If it wasn't for the extreme efforts of environmentalists prior to pipeline construction, there would have been a terrible mess. As originally designed, the pipeline was doomed - I have heard that direct from some engineers who were in on the early design review. Hard for me to admit it but the Sierra Club did Alaska a huge favor - but its true.
Let the same process work in SW Alaska. We'll all be better off.
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Posted on February 27 at 12:37 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I live in Dillingham. I'm grateful for Gillam's contribution to protect our area and salmon. I don't care about the value of the rocks in the ground. For me it does not outweigh the value to be able to take my boys out and net salmon for our freezer or my neighbors' ability to fish commercially, and my other neighbor's ability to sell sport fishing trips to visitors.
As far as "takings" or depriving companies of ownership or other rights, there aresome conservative, highly knowledgeable national attorneys who dispute the initiative would be a "takings". Others say it would be a taking. I'm no lawyer but the issue isn't as cut and dried as a lot of pro-mine people would have you believe.
Wisconsin citizens wisely put very stringent limits on sulfide mines in their state, I wish Alaska would wake up and do the same soon. Please support the Clean Water Initiative.
On Anti-Pebble bill takes short step forward