Nearly 70% of Americans Who Commented Tell EPA to Stop the Pebble Mine
July 08, 2013
"This is an incredible victory for Bristol Bay, with hundreds of thousands of people across the United States recognizing that Bristol Bay's jobs, economy and way of life shouldn't be risked by a massive open-pit mine that could destroy this sustainable fishing industry and the 14,000 jobs it supports," said Bob Waldrop, executive director of the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association. "The results of two comment periods show that Americans want the federal government to act quickly to keep dangerous projects like the Pebble Mine out of Bristol Bay." According to information provided by the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association, the bulk (more than 95%) of comments opposing EPA's Assessment came from Resourceful Earth, a Koch Brothers-funded, DC-based front group that is also financed through corporations like Exxon Mobil and their lobbyists. "Once again the people of Bristol Bay and Alaska have made it powerfully and abundantly clear that they will not stand for a massive hard rock mine in the heart of our healthy, productive watershed and economy," said Brian Kraft, a sport lodge owner. "Now that the science shows that Pebble Mine would irrevocably harm the watershed, and the public participation shows that Americans and Alaskans overwhelmingly favor protection for Bristol Bay, it's time for President Obama to demonstrate leadership on this issue." Submissions During EPA's 2nd Comment Period on the Bristol Bay Watershed Assessment, By the Numbers:
Combined totals of EPA's Two Comment Periods:
By the end of the year EPA will finalize its Bristol Bay Watershed Assessment, leaving the Obama Administration to make a decision whether to heed the call of hundreds of thousands of Americans to protect the world's greatest sockeye salmon fishery and the American jobs and economy that depend upon it.
Note: *EPA continues to add comments to the docket, so a final tally will not likely be available for several weeks.
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