Science – Pebble Watch

Followup to congressional hearing: questions about EPA’s watershed assessment

admin — Fri, 05 May 2017 00:00:00 +0000

In a recent post, we summarized the congressional hearing on the EPA Bristol Bay Watershed Assessment. As a follow-up, we thought readers might be interested in some of the questions legislators asked the panelists. We have paraphrased some of them here: Is it possible to have a scientifically sound watershed assessment using a hypothetical mining scenario in the absence of a submitted permit?

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Pebble Watch and opinion pieces

admin — Fri, 05 May 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Opinion pieces have been frequent too: Former Alaska Governor Frank Murkowski wrote a piece critical of the EPA’s Watershed Assessment. Representatives from five Alaskan tribes responded, describing the work they’ve done to research the potential impacts of the project.

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Local efforts document important resources near Sixmile Lake

admin — Wed, 05 Apr 2017 00:00:00 +0000

The Nondalton Tribal Council has teamed with the University of Washington and the National Park Service to help fund a Integrated Resource Management Plan (IRMP) which will document the important resources in the Sixmile Lake and Chulitna watersheds. Funding has Karen Evanoff, cultural anthropologist at the Lake Clark National Preserve, spoke about these efforts during the recent Bioneers in…

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Video highlights Bristol Bay salmon research program

admin — Tue, 06 Oct 2015 00:00:00 +0000

The University of Washington’s School of Aquatic and Fisheries Science Alaska Salmon Program has been studying salmon and other fish in Bristol Bay for nearly 70 years. What do fish researchers do? How do they do it? This award-winning video by scientist/videographer Jason Ching blends historical photos and a straight-forward narrative with captivating camera-work: overhead views of Bristol Bay…

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Mount Polley Tailings Dam Breach Reports & Investigations

admin — Tue, 07 Jul 2015 00:00:00 +0000

Several reports have been published related to various aspects of the August 2014 tailings pond failure at Mount Polley mine in British Columbia. Additional investigations are still underway, from the Canadian government as well as from mine owner Imperial Metals.* *This table was updated on July 9, 2015 to include an additional report commissioned by Mount Polley Mining Company.

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Lessons from Mount Polley

admin — Thu, 02 Jul 2015 00:00:00 +0000

“It’s probable Mount Polley will get a permit to open in the next couple of weeks.” – Bill Bennett, British Columbia Energy and Mines Minister, June 30, 2015 After the tailings dam breached at Mount Polley mine in British Columbia, Canada, last August and discharged contaminants into a Fraser River tributary, Alaska developers urged the public to avoid speculation on the cause and wait for a…

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New Mt. Polley report concludes metals could affect important fish species

admin — Mon, 11 May 2015 00:00:00 +0000

Researchers from the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) were some of the first on the scene after an August 4, 2014 tailings pond breach released an estimated 2.6 billion gallons of wastewater and 1.3 billion cubic yards of tailings into the watershed in the Polley Lake/Hazeltine Creek/Quesnel Lake area of British Columbia. The scientists were already well familiar with the area…

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Design flaw led to Mount Polley breach say investigators

admin — Tue, 03 Feb 2015 00:00:00 +0000

An independent review panel has concluded that the Aug. 4, 2014 breach of the Mount Polley tailings storage facility (TSF) in British Columbia was the result of a design flaw, not human intervention, overtopping or cracking. The panel determined that designers took into account the strength of the existing foundation of unconsolidated glacial materials, but didn’t account for those changing as the…

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Deadline for public comment

admin — Fri, 19 Sep 2014 00:00:00 +0000

Comments on the Environmental Protection Agency’s Proposed Determination — which details restrictions for development of a large-scale mine in Bristol Bay, Alaska — are due today by 8 pm Alaska Time.

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EPA plans webinar overview of Proposed Determination

admin — Fri, 05 Sep 2014 00:00:00 +0000

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has scheduled online presentations Tuesday and Wednesday, during which agency staff will provide an overview of the Proposed Determination on restrictions at the Pebble deposit area in Bristol Bay. This event is an additional way of learning more about the document before the public input period ends on September 19. Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2-3 pm AK Time…

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