Our Bristol Bay
One of the last best places
The Bristol Bay region in southwest Alaska is a pristine wilderness stretching from the rugged, snow-capped peaks of the Alaska Range across tundra and wetlands laced with rivers that flow into the bay, providing the best wild salmon habitat anywhere on Earth.
North American's biggest open-pit mine proposal threatens
A salmon struggles upstream to spawn in the
Bristol Bay watershed. Photo: Nick Hall
London-based Anglo American, one of the world’s largest mining companies, wants to build the Pebble mine proposal in Bristol Bay’s headwaters. It would be the largest open-pit mine in North Amerca.
The Pebble mine proposal is a colossally stupid idea to anyone without a direct financial stake in it. That's why a vast array of people inside Alaska, including those who usually champion mine proposals, oppose it.
If built, the mine would create 10 billion tons of toxic mine waste lagoons in a seismically active area that sits atop the spawning grounds of the world’s largest remaining wild sockeye salmon fishery.
Working to change corporate minds
Click the logo to ask EPA to use its Clean
Water Act Authority to protect Bristol Bay.
We are working with local groups and communities in three key ways to change Anglo’s mind about building the mine:
- Anglo American’s CEO, Cynthia Carroll, promised not to build the mine if the community opposed. Well, they do oppose it. With our Alaskan partners, we’re demanding she honor her promise.
- Jewelry retailers buy between 70 and 90% of all gold mined every year. We are recruiting an ever-growing list of jewelry retailers to pledge never to buy metals sourced from Bristol Bay.
- The U.S. Environmental Protection agency has Clean Water Act authority to to “prohibit, restrict, or deny” mine waste dumping in waters of the United States – much of the Bristol Bay watershed. With your help, we are encouraging EPA to exercise this authority.
For more information:
- TAKE ACTION: Urge the EPA to use its Clean Water Act authority to protect Bristol Bay from mining waste.
- Visit the Our Bristol Bay Facebook page.
- Follow the Our Bristol Bay twitter feed.
- Visit the Our Bristol Bay website.
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