Anonymous public comment

I have attached a paper I have written with regard to the Pebble Mine Project in the Bristol Bay Water shed in Alaksa. The mining and oil industries are an ever present risk to the Alaskan environment. A disaster similar to the oil release in the gulf waters off Lousianna are compounded in Alaska with the addition of mining techniques used to extract the estimated 7.5 billion tons of gold, copper, and molybdenum. The proposed mine would use cyanide to leach the precious metals from the ore. Additionally, the high sulfide deposits from the mine would create sulfuric acid, causing acid mine drainage or AMD. The leaching methods of metal extraction and the exposure of the high sulfide ore compositions have proven to be impossible to control and will contaminate water sources near the mine site. The Pebble Mine site is located at the headwaters of the Bristol Bay watershed, one of the most pristine salmon fisheries in the world. The Bristol Bay fishery produces a renewable resource worth $400 million a year to the Alaskan economy. This accounts for thirty percent of the wild salmon market caught in Alaska. The pollution that would be generated by the pebble mine is too risky to be operating in such a vulnerable location. The effects of the Pebble Mine project would be an economic, social, and environmental disaster for Alaskans. The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, priorities list should include all Alaskan waters affected or at risk of contamination from any mining or petroleum extraction operation in Alaska.