Representatives of Southeast Alaskan tribal groups will be meeting in Juneau next week to discuss regional concerns at the annual Southeast Environmental Conference in the city’s Vocational Training and Resource Center.
Beginning Monday, the five-day event is being hosted by the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, in partnership with the Chilkat Indian Village, Craig Tribal Association, Douglas Indian Association, Organized Village of Kasaan, Petersburg Indian Association and Sitka Tribe of Alaska.
The purpose of the conference is to identify key environmental issues and form collaborative relationships between Southeast tribes and corporations in order to better address them.
Specialists in a variety of fields have been invited to deliver presentations, and working groups will be organized in order to tackle problem areas over the next year.
This conference’s topics include harmful algae blooms, climate change vulnerability, ocean acidification, herring fisheries management, tribal conservation districts, and the Prince of Wales Sea Otter Commission. There will also be lessons helpful to campaigning such as how to compose a proper public comment letter.
In addition to these, Canadian mining projects along water systems shared with Alaska will be an important issue at the five-day conference.
“This transboundary mining issue has taken over this year’s conference,” said Tis Peterman, who will be Wrangell Cooperative Association’s representative. Trevor Kellar will be accompanying her as a representative for WCA’s Indian Environmental General Assistance Program.
“I think right now that’s the top issue,” she said, “in light of Mt. Polley.”
The tailings pond breached its dam Aug. 4 at the Mt. Polley Mine near Likely, British Columbia, releasing 10 million cubic meters of water and 4.5 cubic meters of contaminants into the nearby river system. Among the materials released were considerable quantities of lead, arsenic, nickel and copper.
Since the disaster, the issue of Canadian mining development along water systems shared with Alaska has taken particular urgency as the Kerr-Sulphurets-Mitchell (KSM) Mine in British Columbia nears approval this year.
Seabridge Gold, the Toronto-based mining exploration company which owns the mine, reckons it among the largest undeveloped gold projects in the world, with proved or provable reserves of 38.2 million ounces of gold and 9.9 billion pounds of copper.
One cause for concern among KSM’s critics is its sheer scale: Expected to last for 52 years, the mine will produce, on average, 130,000 tons of ore a day. Three large open pit mines are planned at the site, with a 540-foot earthen containment dam for waste water and a pair of tailings dams each over 700 feet tall. As part of its permitting, the mine will also have to treat over 100,000 gallons of water per minute before returning it to the Unuk River system.
“It is just completely unprecedented in scale,” said Guy Archibald, mining and clean water program manager for the Southeast Alaska Conservation Council in Juneau. He will be speaking at the conference on the topic of mining in Canada’s British Columbia province, particularly exploring the effects of that development on transboundary waters and southeast Alaska.
In addition to KSM, a series of open pit mines are being built or planned along the Stikine, Taku and Unuk watersheds, which Archibald explained pose significant ecological concerns to the region. These include Red Chris, Schaft Creek, Galore Creek and the functioning Tulsequah Chief mine.
“You start adding up these open pit mines and the possibility of cumulative impacts become very significant,” he said. His concern is not just that a sudden catastrophe can occur, but that long-term, low-level damage caused by pollution will irreparably damage the region’s aquatic habitats and fisheries.
“It’s just another added stressor that salmon are going to face,” said Archibald, along with factors like over-harvesting and climate change. Archibald is concerned that any of these stressors might contribute to a collapse of the salmon stock.
“It’s unpredictable,” he concluded. But the risks are real, he adds, and worth responding to. “All of these issues lead to the need for more precaution.”
Archibald hopes the conference will help to raise awareness of the mining issue, specifically among Alaska Native groups. Archibald hopes their unique sovereign status will allow them to elevate the issue to diplomatic levels.
At its 79th annual tribal assembly in April the Central Council adopted a resolution to more strongly support efforts by the United Tribal Transboundary Mining Work Group to become more proactive on mining issues, encourage stronger intergovernmental engagement regarding large-scale mining developments along shared water systems and to help establish a collaborative strategy with Canadian tribal counterparts.
Formed in March, the mining work group includes the Central Council, WCA, Craig Tribal Association, Douglas Indian Association, Hydaburg Cooperative Association, Ketchikan Tlingit and Haida Community Council, Ketchikan Indian Community, Klawock Cooperative Association, Metlakatla Indian Community, Organized Village of Kasaan and Organized Village of Saxman.
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