Search in Alaska the picturesque region of Bristol Bay developers to a huge copper and gold build mine. You promise, the efforts in ecological responsible way are carried out and work area. But fishermen, conservationists and native groups have efforts to fear to thwart the mine, it will weigh on fish and other species. Melissa block talks about the battle of Bristol Bay with reporter Daysha Eaton member station KDLG in Dillingham, Alaska.
Copyright © 2011 national public radio ®. For personal, non-commercial use. See terms and conditions. For other uses, the prior approval required.MELISSA BLOCK, host: in Alaska, a proposal is to the North America's largest open pit mine with a local ballot initiative is being challenged. The ballot measure objectives plans for a giant copper and gold mine. Opponents say that the mine would ruin the ecology of one of the world's most productive wild salmon fishing in Bristol Bay. Daysha Eaton, a reporter with the Member station KDLG in Dillingham, Alaska, pursued the fight about the Pebble Mine and it connects me now. Daysha, welcome.
DAYSHA EATON: Hello, Melissa.
BLOCK: What is the extent of this beat me? How big is it?
EATON: Well, it's hard to say, it would be exactly how big. Pit area, it covers about 150 square miles, but they have still a mine plan. And so, until we see a mine plan, we do not really know the mine would be as large.
BLOCK: And the value of the minerals and metals, this site is huge.
EATON: There is huge. It's billions. The mine site is to keep an estimated 80 billion lb copper, more than one hundred million ounces of gold and about five billion pounds of molybdenum.
BLOCK: And the controversy over the proposed that provided me with the ecology to do Bristol Bay. Explain why it is so appreciated.
EATON: Well, activists who are against the mine very are concerned because they say that the page mine at the headwaters of Bristol Bay. Now, headwaters is kind of a political Word, to a lot of people here in the vicinity. No one really knows what that mean, or will agree that that's where the mine is. But it is to run Bristol Bay close to much of the streams that feed into rivers, in the. And this is salmon spawning ground.
They are still doing environmental studies of the site, to find out whether salmon spawning are actually close to the site, and we wait for this information now.
BLOCK: And the mine was a source of controversy for quite some time now. Who is lined up on the other hand?
EATON: Well, the mine before a unique group of people who never really - commercial fishermen, sport fishermen, Alaska natives groups and companies have worked together and merged conservation clubs, including Trout Unlimited. You are very active. There are several conservation clubs in Alaska and the United States, which are now to jump on board.
Bob Gillam, he is considered one of the richest men - if not the richest - entrepreneurs in Alaska. He was behind this SOS initiative. And it came in the Alaska daily news this morning that he was the only donor to the group, which is behind the SOS initiative.
BLOCK: SOS are?
EATON: Save our salmon.
BLOCK: And on the other hand, is the support?
EATON: People, the design of a pro-development are support of the mine. The Pebble partnership, which is behind the mine, is of course for it. And if you want really development and development of resources, in particular in the Sate behind it.
BLOCK: And where the local groups on this? Need some, see would say there are jobs here we these jobs?
EATON: Yes, that Alaska native group, which are the development of the mine, they are in the vicinity of Lake Iliamna up to the next, on board with the mining operation for the most part, because they already benefit from jobs and development in the field are. But the groups that are Alaska Native groups closer to the Bristol Bay, Alaska are native companies, however, the mine and in Alaska.
BLOCK: Well, we talk about the local ballot measure against the mine. It has been hotly disputed. I collect votes, are due next week. The vote initiative has teeth, and what happens if it to pass and it was to be a whole lot more lawsuits follow?
EATON: I think you can be sure, it is to follow more litigation. Not many teeth have the initiative. The people will say whether they can vote the mine want of like them on the initiative, but the courts can go ahead and say that it no Constitution, if they so wish.
BLOCK: I've talked of member station KDLG Dillingham, Alaska, the proposed Pebble mine in the Bristol Bay with Daysha Eaton.
Daysha, thanks to many.
EATON: Thank you.
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