Letter to the Hon. Donald J. Trump, President - Removal of Environmental Rules Protecting Alaska's Bristol Bay

Letter

Dear Mr. President,

We write to express our deep concern regarding the proposed Pebble Mine in Bristol Bay, Alaska. Recently, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced plans to reverse clean water safeguards put in place to protect Bristol Bay salmon and jobs in west coast states that depend on those salmon. This decision was made without a single public hearing and with zero public input from Bristol Bay fisherman, hunters, anglers, local business owners, and other stakeholders whose livelihoods and way of life will be put at risk by this decision.

We ask that you listen to American fishermen and facilitate opportunities to allow them to engage in the current process through public hearings throughout west coast states, similar to the transparency measures undertaken during the 404(c) process. We also request that you extend the public comment period 90 days to allow for stakeholder input. And above all else, we urge the Administration to maintain strong protections and clean water safeguards in Bristol Bay.

The EPA's plan to reverse clean water safeguards is egregious and inconsistent with science and frankly, inconsistent with basic logic. Bristol Bay is an important economic driver in Washington, Oregon, California and throughout the west. Bristol Bay salmon fisheries support thousands of American jobs, many of which are held by residents of our states.

The proposed large-scale Pebble Mine, which would be located at the headwaters of the Bristol Bay watershed, threatens the entire Bristol Bay region, salmon, and the multi-billion dollar economy it supports. The Pebble Mine site would require the construction of a massive earthen dam used to contain toxic waste, including arsenic. In one mine plan scenario, the open mine pit would be so deep, you could fit two and a half Trump Towers inside. Due to the soil properties of the region, leaching of these toxic materials is considered unavoidable and would require constant extensive water treatment in perpetuity.

Each year, nearly 40 million sockeye salmon return to Bristol Bay, which is the largest sockeye fishery and one of the largest Chinook fisheries in the world. This unique and important region supports 35 species of fish including all five salmon species. That's why the economies of Washington, Oregon and California have longstanding economic and cultural ties to the Bristol Bay region. A 2013 report by the University of Alaska Institute of Social and Economic Research found that the value of commercial fishing activities in the Bristol Bay region account for $1.5 billion in economic output value, including $500 million in direct income. Washington, Oregon and California benefit from $674 million in economic activity from Bristol Bay salmon fishing and processing each year. This economic activity fuels approximately 12,000 commercial fishing jobs and another 10,000 salmon-related industry jobs across the United States from Alaska to Maine. The region also supports a prolific outdoor recreation industry; anglers from around the world take roughly 37,000 fishing trips annually to Bristol Bay, generating $60 million in economic activity and supporting another 850 full and part time jobs.

After three years of in-depth scientific analysis and peer review, over one million public comments and eight public hearings, the EPA published Assessment of Potential Mining Impacts on Salmon Ecosystems of Bristol Bay, Alaska (EPA 910-R-14-001). The Assessment found that the Pebble Mine would have devastating and permanent negative impacts on Bristol Bay salmon. The Assessment found that between 24 and 94 miles of salmon producing streams and between 1,300 and 5,350 acres of pristine wetlands could be completely destroyed by the normal operations of the mine. This doesn't factor in any potential mine failures, which could be catastrophic to the entire Bristol Bay ecosystem. Based on this assessment, the EPA recommended that common sense restrictions be put on the large scale mining development in Bristol Bay.

The Pebble Mine directly threatens our maritime economy and thousands of American jobs that rely on this world class fishery. We ask you to listen to America's fishermen and businesses and reverse EPA's decision to undo strong protections and clean water safeguards in Bristol Bay.