While viewing the news of the ongoing environmental disaster in the Gulf, I am reminded of the Exxon Valdez. The victims of this new tragedy will be attempting to put their lives back together for the next several decades. Many of those affected will die before they receive any compensation. The priority for the polluters will be to minimize costs.

Speaking of large scale pollution and endless litigation, I recently attended several presentations about the Pebble Mine project; They are currently test drilling and performing baseline studies(which they are not sharing with the state) in the headwaters of Bristol Bay. This area is one of the world's pristine treasures and the epicenter of Western Alaska's subsistence and commercial fishing lifestyle. How could such a destructive operation be considered in such an environmentally significant region?

For years the leaseholders have known of the Pebble deposits, but considered them unrecoverable. They were sold off to multinational interests. These foreign corporations have credited themselves with the "discovery" of the massive deposits in this region. Maybe they could demonstrate their expertise with other mines of this scale and locale –not likely!

Meanwhile, doors have been opened by our state leaders to facilitate the destruction, should this project move ahead. The Pebble Project became more viable during the Murkowski administration in four very significant ways:

1. The 12 million acres were reclassified from recreational to general use
2. Mixing zones (pollution) were allowed in fresh water, including salmon streams.
3. Fish habitat protection was removed from ADF&G and placed in the DNR
4. A former mining executive was appointed as top administrator of DNR

The Palin administration relocated habitat back to fish and game, but then made an unprecedented move lobbying against measure four, defeating the clean water initiative. Did you know that there is no agency that has oversight on a project this size? There is no collective authority that can say no to this mine? Did you know that the current polling indicates as much as 80% of Bristol Bay watershed residents are against this project?

These are some alarming issues relating to this proposed project:

• All twenty states that allow mixing zones in salmon streams have had fish consumption advisories. ONE of these advisories will harm our Salmon industry statewide.
• It only takes a 2-8 PPB(yes, that's parts per BILLION) of copper introduced into freshwater to harm the ability of salmon to find their spawning streams
• DNR is to mining what the Fish and Game is to fishing, they facilitate permitting and licensing
• Once the water permits are in place they supercede all other water rights, including access by residents and fish population
• Public comment and outcry will only result in compromise and increased mitigation (repair)
• The Environmental Impact statement (EIS) and public comment process are token milestones on the way to successfully completing the permitting process

Our state agencies are not funded adequately to respond to a massive volume of permitting. They will quickly be overloaded. There are currently only about five active mines in Alaska, yet there is an exploratory boom that will create an unprecedented volume of permitting. Privatizing baseline studies reduces response time for these state agencies, and the Pebble proponents are withholding this data as they collect it, to what end? Historically, large mines create major impact to adjacent watersheds.

Who pays in the event of a major catastrophe? The current bonding rate for performance and reclamation does not even touch the potential damages to such an eco-rich region. The state of Alaska by default will be underwriting this whole misadventure. The pollution is very difficult to contain in an area with so much rainfall. These open pit mines are typically operated in arid and desolate regions. Bottom line: this is the wrong project in the wrong place and probably one of the biggest environmental risks of our time.

The Pebble Mine project strategy is simple and obvious -- they ask us not to judge them, sit back and wait to see what they propose. They have already stopped sharing baseline information with the state and violated their water use permits. If we sit back and wait, they will become unstoppable. Once they get onto their permitting process it will be very difficult or impossible to stop this project. Their only motivation is profit.

Legislative change is needed:

1)Reclassify the lands

2)Eliminate mixing zones in fresh water

3)Establish an aquatic refuge to protect fish and habitat

4)Compel DEC to designate area streams(starting with the Koktuli) as Outstanding National resource Waters (ONRW) eliminating any chance that new or increased pollution of these waters will be allowed

4)File for water rights on behalf of the salmon and regional stakeholders

5)Raise performance and reclamation bonds to reflect the value of the surrounding ecosystem

We need legislative action. We will demand that no pollution be allowed in such an important and beautiful place. Shut the doors that have wrongfully been opened and protect Bristol Bay headwaters. Even the best run open pit mine will allow enough destruction to harm our salmon industry, and one extraction of a resource will surely displace the other. With the state of Alaska ultimately at risk, I choose a fish in the hand over the rock in the ground.

Michael J. Friccero has lived in Kodiak for 40 years and worked as a commercial fisherman in Bristol Bay for 30 years. His family has also also worked in Alaskan fisheries.

Tundra Telegraph features stories, commentary, photos, video and just about anything else by Alaskans. We welcome all content. To share your content with Tundra Telegraph, e-mail it to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . You can also submit your photos here and your video here.