Our action this week is opposing an open-pit gold mine in western Alaska that has the potential of exposing a pristine area to toxic by-products that could persist for hundreds of years. Part of the project is building a dam to contain 550 million tons of toxic waste. The mine is estimated to play out it 27 years; the dam is supposed to last forever?
The local tribes have been opposing the toxic Donlin Mine in Western Alaska for years. They are up against a billionaire trying to build the world’s largest open-pit mine at the headwaters of the sacred Kuskokwim River.
The project includes a proposed dam that is supposed to hold back 550 million tons of toxic mine waste for hundreds of years. A study recently released by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said that it will likely fail and spill into the region, killing people nearby, poisoning drinking water for over 100 years, making a nearby Native village “uninhabitable,” and wiping out salmon for generations.
In addition, the Donlin Gold Mine will also involve polluting infrastructure like a 316-mile-long gas pipeline, which could also spill — and will contribute to the climate change that’s warming Alaska at 3 times the global rate.
Speaking out against the mine, Native Village of Eek Vice President George Alexie said: “We must protect salmon and other natural resources we depend on for our existence.”
And Yu’Pik matriarch Gloria Simeon said: “The Kuskokwim River, running through and nourishing the land and all life, is as vital to me as my blood, the blood of my ancestors pulsing through my body.”
Yu’Pik Tribal matriarch Beverly Hoffman explained, “The health of our river is more important to our way of life and our ecosystem than all the gold they want to dig up. We can’t eat gold and if our fish are gone, so are we.”
Indigenous peoples’ cultural continuity and ongoing community life depends on blocking the toxic gold mine.
Our Action Letter:
Our Baptismal Covenant calls on us to strive for justice and peace among all peoples, and respect the dignity of every human being. We remember our nation’s history of mining and industrial projects particularly in lightly populated rural areas and places inhabited by indigenous peoples, other minority groups and the disadvantaged. Where they were left with the toxic aftermaths and the profits went to other people in far off places. We also hear echoes of the shredding of treaties and the trampling of tribal rights when gold was discovered in the Black Hills.
Tribal nations have lived in the area of this project for generations and will continue to live there after the mine is depleted. They make their living from the natural resources within the area. All of which will be put in jeopardy if the toxic byproducts of this project seep into the surrounding ecosystems.
As with any people living in an area impacted by a large industrial project, the local tribal nations should have primacy regarding the best guarantees for their health, safety and the continued productivity of the natural resources on which they depend. Our nation cannot continue to repeat the errors of our past. Therefore, please rescind the authorizations and permits for the Donlin Mine, including the Joint Record of Decision, the right-of-way authorization, and the Clean Water Act Section 404 permit.
As the federal government, you have obligations to respect Tribes’ sovereignty, including their right to make decisions about projects that impact their communities’ well-being.
You’ve just released the new Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement that shows some of this toxic mine’s catastrophic impacts. So please extend this comment period and increase genuine Tribal consultation to update and listen to nearby Tribal members and leaders.
Options to Take Action:
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- Sign an action letter at the Action Table on Sunday.
- Download an action letter that you can sign and mail.
- Take part in the action on line at Native Organizers.
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For personal actions or information, here are some helpful resources:
Contact the White House at https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/ or leave a phone comment at 1-202-456-1111.
If you ever need to look up your member of the U.S. House of Representatives or your U.S. Senators check here: www.house.gov and www.senate.gov.
To find contact information for your California State Senator or California State Assemblymember check here: www.senate.ca.gov and www.assembly.ca.gov.
Take Action
Our action this week is opposing an open-pit gold mine in western Alaska that has the potential of exposing a pristine area to toxic by-products that could persist for hundreds of years. Part of the project is building a dam to contain 550 million tons of toxic waste. The mine is estimated to play out it 27 years; the dam is supposed to last forever?