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Cook Inletkeeper Energy
Program
Inletkeeper
Appeals Short-Sighted DNR Decision
to Reject
Coal Strip Mine Petition
Trustees for Alaska, on behalf
of Inletkeeper, local citizens and others, on August 6, 2007,
appealed DNR's decision to reject a petition requesting that
lands within the fish-rich Chuitna watershed be deemed
"unsuitable" for coal strip mining. Among other things,
Commissioner Tom Irwin invoked a 17 year old, defunct and
invalid permit previously issued to the mine as a basis to
reject the petition. The State of Alaska has consistency
touted Alaska's "rigorous" permitting system, yet this decision
exposes the true nature of DNR decision making. For more
information see:
Alaska
Pushes Coal Project Despite New Fish Consumption For Mercury
Alaska Public Health
Releases New Fish Consumption Guidelines
State of Alaska Fish
Consumption Fact Sheet
State of Alaska
Epidemiology - Bulletin
State of Alaska
Epidemiology - Full Report
Trustees for Alaska's Appeal
Commissioner Tom Irwin's July 3 Media Statement Condemning
Challenges to Mining Projects
Former ADFG
Biologist Lance Trasky's Testimony on the "Myths of Rigorous
Permitting" in Alaska
DNR Rejects
Citizen Petition to Halt Coal Strip Mine Devastation
Read
Commissioner Tom Irwins decision rejected the citizen
petition to declare the lands and waters around the proposed
Chuitna coal mine as “unsuitable” for large scale coal strip
mining. Check back here soon for additional information.
See the
DNR Opinion
Inletkeeper Joins Citizens & Groups
Asking State to Find the Chuitna Watershed "Unsuitable" for Coal
Strip Mining
The massive, proposed Chuitna coal strip mine 45 miles west of
Anchorage along the shores of Cook Inlet will devastate
important fishing and hunting habitat, harm subsistence uses,
and undermine Alaskan ways of life. On Thursday, June 14,
Inletkeeper joined local citizens and groups in an "Unsuitable
Lands Petition" filed under state law, which calls on the Alaska
Department of Natural Resources to find the proposed mining
region "unsuitable" for large scale coal strip mining.
Citizens
Petition State to Declare Chuitna watershed “Unsuitable” for
Coal Strip Mining
(click to
see entire press release)
See
the
Petition to the State of Alaska
See
links below for additional information on the Chuitna strip
mine.
Massive
Coal Mine Lands Chuitna River on
Most
Endangered Rivers List 2007
* Click Thumbnails for Full Sized Versions
*
Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 17,
2007
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Bob Shavelson, CIK 907.299.3277
Randy Virgin, ACE 907.274.3656
Judy Heilman, CCC 907.583.2277
Proposed Coal Mine Lands Chuitna River on
America’s Most Endangered
Rivers List for 2007
ANCHORAGE, AK –
Local citizens and groups today announced that the Chuitna
River, located 45 miles west of Anchorage on the west side of
Cook Inlet, has been selected as one of ten rivers nationally to
be included on American River’s list for the “Most Endangered
Rivers 2007.” The Chuitna coal strip mine, proposed by Outside
investors with PacRim Coal, LLC, prompted the Chuitna River’s
inclusion on the list.
“The permitting process is well underway for this massive coal
strip mine.” said Terry Jorgenson, a commercial fisherman and
member of the Chuitna Citizens Coalition. “In light of the
substantial salmon resources threatened by the Chuitna coal
strip mine, and recognizing the salmon protection rollbacks
Alaska pushed through by the Murkowski Administration, it makes
sense the Chuitna River is one of the nation’s ten “Most
Endangered Rivers” for 2007.”
The
Chuitna Coal Project, if fully developed, would destroy over 30
square miles of rich fish and game habitat within the Chuitna
River watershed, and would dump millions of gallons of mine
waste to Chuitna River and Cook Inlet fisheries each day.
Because Alaska possesses roughly half the nation’s coal
reserves, Asian markets and local industries are increasingly
looking to develop and use coal as oil and gas prices remain
relatively high.
“The Chuitna coal strip mine represents a dangerous precedent
that will lock Alaska into a coal-based energy future that will
destroy fish and game habitat, add mercury to Alaska’s
fisheries, and increase the production of greenhouse gases,”
said Bob Shavelson, Executive Director of Cook Inletkeeper.
“Reliance on large scale coal resources will also preclude
investments in cleaner fuel sources such as natural gas, tidal,
wind and geothermal energies.”
In
addition to the strip mine site and associated facilities, the
Chuitna coal strip mine will include a twelve mile long
partially-enclosed conveyor to transport coal to tidewater, a
500,000 ton coal storage area along the shores of Cook Inlet,
and a large gravel island and 10,000 foot long dock and pier to
service coal ships.
“Recent coal dust problems in Seward highlight the threats from
blowing Chuitna coal to citizens as far away as Anchorage, and
the mine’s transportation facility will displace or interfere
with long-established commercial, sport and recreational fishing
opportunities,” said Randy Virgin, Executive Director of the
Alaska Center for the Environment.
American Rivers is a national nonprofit that annually publishes
a list of the nation’s “Most Endangered Rivers.” For a copy of
the Most Endangered Rivers Report for 2007, see:
http://www.americanrivers.org
Cook Inletkeeper is a citizen-based nonprofit organization
dedicated to protecting the Cook Inlet watershed and the life it
sustains. The Alaska Center for the Environment is Alaska's
largest home-grown citizen's group working for the sensible
stewardship of Alaska's natural environment. The Chuitna
Citizens Coalition is an alliance of local residents and
property owners concerned about the impacts from the proposed
Chuitna coal strip mine.
For
a complete media package, including documents, pictures and a
video, go to:
wwww.inletkeeper.org
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