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Wild Forests ARE more precious than gold The Coeur Alaska Mining Company wants Lower Slate Lake to become a waste dump. The Tongass Rainforest of southeast Alaska is known for its special natural treasures such as abundant wildlife, millions of wild salmon, incredible recreation opportunities and a quality of life rarely found in the lower 48 states. So, it comes as somewhat of a surprise that a mining company would propose that building a levee around a pristine mountain lake, filling it with 4.5 million tons of waste from a hardrock gold mine over ten years, and killing all of the lake's native fish could be described as having a "strong regard for environmental protection." It's OK, says the Coeur Alaska mining company, because they'll eventually "improve productivity and aquatic habitat" better than nature had and then they'll restock the lake with fish when they are done mining. Similar to the coal mining practice of mountaintop removal in Appalachia, Coeur Alaska claims this meets the legal requirements of the Clean Water Act because the mining waste is really "fill." The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals put the project in doubt when they ruled last December that the federal permits were issued illegally and Coeur Alaska has been in denial ever since. They've still been allowed to build the infrastructure for the mine and will be done in the next few months. Coeur Alaska also launched an aggressive ad campaign in the Juneau media and even this month made the step to potential harassment when they sent a direct mail piece that urges locals to target Carl Pope's office and Sierra Club Juneau group leader Mark Rorick with criticism. "Their glossy mail piece hit every mail box in Juneau and as a Club volunteer you don't really want your personal home address on one of their propaganda pieces," says Mark. "But it's clear that Coeur Alaska only wants to use the lake as a dump because other disposal methods cost more. They've yet to realize that we're not giving up." Alaska State Law requires that "existing water uses and the level of water quality necessary to protect existing uses must be maintained and protected." Dumping 4.5 million tons of mine waste into the lake doesn't meet this requirement, nor does exterminating all the Dolly Varden fish in the lake or eliminating the ability of Sierra Club members who use Lower Slate Lake for recreation. The greater precedent of this project cannot be underestimated. Farther north in Alaska the proposed Pebble Mine would threaten tens of thousands of acres in the Bristol Bay watershed which is home to the largest salmon runs in the world. And, on almost every National Forest in the western United States are defunct mining claims that could be made operational with a similar exemption from the Clean Water Act. This is a simple chance to protect the real treasures of southeast Alaska. Clean Water For All Alaska Gold Mine Threatens Pristine Waters, Wilderness Kensington Mine Background from Sierra Club Alaska Photo courtesy Pat Costello, Juneau Group, Sierra Club Alaska Chapter. Up to Top HOME | Email Signup | About Us | Contact Us | Terms of Use | © 2008 Sierra Club