Lummi Nation Fights for Land Protection
Written By: Sarah Anderson
The Lummi Nation, a Native American Tribe in the state of Washington, is fighting for the opposition of a Pebble Mine being constructed in Bristol Bay. If the Pebble Mine is developed, it would be one of the largest open-pit mines in North American and negatively impact the Bristol Bay fishery, the salmon run, the waters, and other natural resources nearby. These waters and the surrounding environment have supported Native American tribes, like the Lummi Nation, for generations. The installation of a mine could leave a permanent impact on the surrounding eco system and tribes (Pebble Mine 2016).
For over a decade, the Pebble Mine in Bristol Bay has been a large debate. The Alaska Native tribes asked the Environmental Protection Agency to conduct the Bristol Bay Watershed Assessment. The report took 3 years and concluded that the Pebble Mine would have “unacceptable adverse impacts” on the aquatic, economic, and cultural resources in Bristol Bay. Due to concerns of the EPA and the Clean Water Act, they began the process of applying restrictions against mining on the Pebble deposit (Pebble Mine 2016).
Native Americans are not the only ones opposed to the Pebble Mine. Since 2012, more than 2.5 comments to the EPA have been made as an effort to protect Bristol Bay. Local Alaskans, Bristol Bay residents, commercial fisherman, sport fish lodges, fish enthusiasts, non-profits, and religious organization. Even the former EPA Administrator, Scott Pruitt, said “it is my judgement at this time that any mining projects in the Bristol Bay region likely pose a risk to the abundant natural resources that exist there” (Pebble Mine 2016).
Even though the Pebble Mine would have so called “failsafe” technology, so did the Exxon Valdez supertanker when it crashed and spilled almost 11 million gallons of oil in Prince William Sound. The results of this crash were irreparable. Twenty two killer whales died, which have a big connection to the Lummi peoples. Their word for the killer whale is “qwe ‘lhol mechen” which means “our relations under the waves.” Many herring and salmon died as a result of the Exxon Valdez spill as well. Despite having “failsafe” technology, the Pebble Mine would be located in earthquake country, which raises worries of another disaster occurring (Pool 2019).
Despite evidence proving the Pebble Mine to be a risk to the environment and many people opposing it, in December 2017, Pebble submitted its first major federal permit application to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for a “dredge and fill” permit (Pool 2019). Although no further moves forward have been made, the protection of Bristol Bay is imperative as its a sustainable economic powerhouse for local communities and the source of the lifeblood for Alaska Native cultures. It produces an enormous portion of the world’s sockeye salmon catch and possibly the world’s largest Chinook salmon runs (Alaska’s 2019).
References
Alaska's Bristol Bay & The Pebble Mine. (2019, March 05). Retrieved from
https://earthjustice.org/features/alaska-s-bristol-bay-the-pebble-mine
Pebble Mine. (2016). Retrieved from https://www.bbnc.net/our-corporation/pebble-mine/
Pool, P. (2019, March 21). Lummi Nation announces opposition to the Pebble Mine in Bristol Bay.
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