Alaska’s Choice: Salmon or Gold (inspections, deposits, richest)

[RedJacket]

If built, a huge mine would transform Alaska’s Bristol Bay region, possibly jeopardizing the world’s richest sockeye salmon fishery.

Bristol Bay - National Geographic Magazine

Bristol Bay - Photo Gallery - National Geographic Magazine

Great article and a beautiful place indeed.

[roadfamily6now]

I thought Pebble Mine was a copper mine, not gold.

[roadfamily6now]

oh my bad, it's copper AND gold.

I saw what the copper mines did in Montana. I'd prefer that did not happen here.

[RayinAK]

Alaska’s Choice: Salmon or Gold?

Hmmm...I take both, but just a little of each: a 10-pound Copper River King fillet, and just 20 pounds of gold

[Glitch]

Originally Posted by roadfamily6now

oh my bad, it's copper AND gold.

I saw what the copper mines did in Montana. I'd prefer that did not happen here.

Actually, Pebble is a copper, gold, and molybdenum porphyry mine. Molybdenum is used to impart superior strength to steel and other alloys at high temperature.

Pebble consists of two contiguous deposits. Pebble West is a near surface resource of approximately 4.1 billion metric tons that, if developed, would likely be mined by conventional open-pit mining techniques. Pebble East is significantly deeper than Pebble West and contains generally higher grade ore. Its size is currently estimated at 3.4 billion metric tons. If developed, Pebble East would probably be mined via bulk tonnage underground mining methods.

Source: Pebble Copper-Gold Project

I will reserve judgement until I have read the DNR approved project proposal. If DNR does not approve the project, then it is a moot point. Currently, they are in the advanced exploration stage and have not yet submitted their proposal to the DNR Office of Project Management and Permitting. You can read the DNR inspection reports of their exploratory drilling rigs at:

Pebble Project Inspections and Field Reports (http://dnr.alaska.gov/mlw/mining/largemine/pebble/reports.htm - broken link)

Additionally, the British mining company, Anglo American, must file a Contingency Plan concerning the Pebble Project, demonstrate financial responsibility, and obtain approval from several Divisions within the Department of Environmental Conservation because it is a state regulated facility.

[RedJacket]

Originally Posted by RayinAK

Alaska’s Choice: Salmon or Gold?

Hmmm...I take both, but just a little of each: a 10-pound Copper River King fillet, and just 20 pounds of gold

There's no way Joe Miller hacked into your computer and wrote those words. That's vintage Mr. Ray from Alaska stuff.

[Floyd_Davidson]

Originally Posted by think first

There's no way Joe Miller hacked into your computer and wrote those words. That's vintage Mr. Ray from Alaska stuff.

Err, pure greed, eh?

[Metlakatla]

If the Bristol Bay run suffers because of this mine, that only means more money for the likes of me. Nonetheless, I would be greatly saddened to see it happen. Some things are worth way more than money.