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Paula Ayunerak and Cecilia Tucker of the Yukon-Kuskokwim
Delta region of Alaska clean fresh-caught
salmon at their fish camp.
Photo courtesy of Gunnar Ebbesson
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TODAY! Alaska 'NO!' to Barrick and Nova Gold's Donlin Gold Mercury Mine
A mega mecury "gold" mine with a list of problems financed by Barrick Gold and Nova Gold
What: Donlin Gold EIS scoping meeting
When:
January 22, 2013 6pm
Where:
Wilde
Martson Theatre, Loussac Library
3600
Denali Street, Anchorage, AK
By Alaska's
Big Village Network, Carl Wassilie
Center
for Water Advocacy, Nikos Pastos
Alaska
Inter-Tribal Council, Delice Calcote
ANCHORAGE -- A
group of concerned global citizens, indigenous peoples and Yup'ik
fisherpeoples are demonstrating opposition to the proposed Donlin
Gold mine in the Kuskokwim watershed at the Donlin Gold Environmental
Impact Statement public meeting in Anchorage, Alaska. The groups
have concerns about one of the worlds largest proposed mega-gold
mines that has a footprint that extends into the Alaska marine
transportation corridor. The proposed mine's impacts will result in
permanent changes to the Kuskokiwm River's Yup'ik peoples' cultural
survival, subsistence resources, and health. This mine brings
enormous cost to fish, wildlife, peoples and habitat with the massive
amount of contaminants; such as mercury, arsenic and selenium, that
are to be permanently leached into the Kuskokwim watershed.
Barrick Gold has a history of contaminating peoples' water supply on a global scale and Nova Gold
has a history of mishaps in Alaska including the complete failure of
the Rock Creek mine in Nome, Alaska, in which 'streamlined permitting'
killed 2 workers and resulted in terrible planning for the water balance
of the mining operation.
The
groups would like to ensure there are comprehensive studies to
address the transportation and storage of extremely toxic elements
and compounds, like mercury; as well as addressing the risks and
threats to communities along all of Alaska's coastline along the
transportation routes. Donlin Gold's proposal does not have existing
baseline science to determine the comprehensive mercury risk from
"cradle to grave" on the health of the people and environment,
considering the multitude of pathways that mercury bio-accumulates in
the human body.
Acid
Mine Drainage (AMD) is a major concern of these groups in the
proposed Donlin Gold mine. AMD can cause severe health,
reproductive and developmental impacts to living organisms; including
humans. Some of these concerns have been discussed extensively in
the EPA's draft Bristol Bay Watershed Assessment with the Pebble
Mine.
The
groups are calling on Anchorage and Southcentral Alaska residents to
get involved in this Donlin Gold EIS to ensure baseline science and
gas supply feasibility studies are included for the proposed 313-mile
14-inch gas pipeline from Cook Inlet to the middle of a Kuskokwim
wilderness area with no infrastructure and declining supplies of
natural gas in Cook Inlet.
Contact:
Alaska's
Big Village Network, Carl Wassilie 907-382-3403
Center
for Water Advocacy, Nikos Pastos 907-764-2561
Alaska
Inter-Tribal Council, Delice Calcote 907-563-9334
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