Post by
Manjusri on Dec 12, 2024 6:19pm
Pebble Mine would have no measurable impact on fisheries
For those who have just discovered NAK it is important to understand that the 2020 USACE rejection of the NAK project contradicted their own findings. By law, the USACE’s decision must be based on the existing public record. The USACE’s July 2020 Federal Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) provides the public record with the most comprehensive analysis of Pebble Mine’s potential impacts. Pebble Mine critics claim the project poses a serious threat to Bristol Bay salmon populations. However, the USACE’s FEIS concluded that neither the mine site or the associated transportation corridor is expected to impact commercial or recreational fisheries:
“Under normal operations, the alternatives would not be expected to have a measurable effect on fish numbers or result in long-term changes to the health of the commercial fisheries in Bristol Bay” (USACE FEIS Table 4.6-1, pg 4.6-3)
https://www.arlis.org/docs/vol1/Pebble/Final-EIS/Pebble-FEIS-ch4_sec1-15.pdf
The USACE’s rejection of the Pebble Mine project is based on something other than science, certainly not their FEIS. The USACE rejection is unlikely to survive the upcoming scrutiny of the US Federal District Court of Alaska as there is nothing in the public record to support their current position.