Cook Inletkeeper - Energy - Chuitna Coal Mine

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Cook Inletkeeper Energy Program

The Chuitna Coal Project

would be the largest coal strip mine in Alaska history

& the third largest strip mine in the U.S.

Click here for Chuitna River Area scenic photos

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:

March 17, 2008 - Citizens Forced to Sue DNR to Get Fair Hearing on Unsuitable Lands Petition for the Chuitna River Watershed

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

March 19: Thanks to everyone who wrote to the Kenai Borough Assembly about the lease extension for Ladd Landing. The Kenai Borough owns the land - on behalf of the residents of the Kenai Borough - at Ladd Landing, where PacRim Coal wants to build a major coal storage and transport facility. The Borough Assembly voted 7-1 on March 13 to extend the lease option for the coal operation. The extension lasts for one year, so you have 12 months to let the Kenai Borough Mayor and Assembly know that coal and coal mining are not in the best interests of Cook Inlet residents.

For Kenai Borough Assembly, Mayor & other contact info, go here. For fact sheets and talking points to help you draft comments, see below and go here.

Take 5 minutes to get informed,

then, GET INVOLVED!

Sign Petition Opposing The Proposed Chuitna Coal Strip Mine

Send an Email to Governor Sarah Palin

Group Contact Sheet

Sign Up for Cook Inletkeeper News

Background: Outside investors with PacRim Coal want to strip 30 square miles of rich bear, moose and salmon habitat so Asian countries and Alaska utilities can burn more coal. This massive strip mine will displace set net fishing sights and dump billions of gallons of mine waste into the rich fisheries of the Chuitna River each year. The Kenai Peninsula Borough owns Ladd Landing, which would serve as the coal storage and transportation facility for this short-sighted proposal.

TAKE ACTION!!! Alaskans will get the short end of the stick with this massive coal mine, which will send coal to low-technology power plants in Asia that add mercury to our fish in the Gulf of Alaska. And burning coal will aggravate climate change in a state already reeling from the disproportionate effects of warming temperatures. SO, TAKE 10 MINUTES NOW TO PROTECT OUR WATER QUALITY AND SALMON RESOURCES FROM COAL. TELL THE KENAI PENINSULA BOROUGH:

· This lease option is not in the best interests of Kenai Peninsula Borough residents

· The lease could be assigned to unknown foreign interests that pay little regard to the health of Alaska’s prized salmon fisheries

· The Ladd Landing facility will include a 10,000 foot long dock across established set net fishing sites, and will set a dangerous precedent statewide for “taking” a private property right (fishing lease) for a large scale mine.

· The proposed dock will sit in some of the roughest and iciest navigational conditions in all of Cook Inlet, and will impact the habitat of the depleted Cook Inlet beluga whale.

· Despite the promise of jobs and revenues, this coal mine will rely largely on Outside workers, and will add little to Borough and state revenues when compared to the sustainable fishing and hunting resources that will be destroyed.

· Cook Inlet boasts world-class renewable energy resources, from its massive tides, strong winds and prolific geothermal (volcano) resources, and Alaska can and should be an innovator for clean power and sustainable jobs.

Coal mining destroys fish and game habitat, and coal combustion creates greenhouse gases and mercury. Alaska has world class renewable resources, and we can and should be an innovative leader in creating clean energy and good jobs.

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

Kenai Borough Proposed Lease Option Extension: http://www.borough.kenai.ak.us/AssemblyClerk/Assembly/Ordinances/2007/O2007-09lease.pdf

Kenai Borough Memo on Lease Option Extension: http://www.borough.kenai.ak.us/AssemblyClerk/Assembly/Ordinances/2007/O2007-09memo.pdf

Ladd Landing Map: http://www.borough.kenai.ak.us/AssemblyClerk/Assembly/Ordinances/2007/O2007-09%20Map.pdf

TO SEND AN EMAIL TO THE KPB MAYOR, ASSEMBLY AND CLERK, COPY AND PASTE THE EMAILS BELOW:

jwilliams@borough.kenai.ak.us; pa12gary@hotmail.com; psprague@acsalaska.net; akjfischer@hotmail.com; mbgilman@gci.net; merkes2@yahoo.com; debgermano@acsalaska.net; gsuperman@gci.net; rlms@ptialaska.net; millimom@xyz.net; sbiggs@borough.kenai.ak.us;

NEW!!! Chuitna Coal Fact Sheet & Talking Points

NEW!!! Coal Fact Sheet

Permitting Schedule:

Federal and state permitting agencies anticipate a comment period for a broad array of permits and authorizations sometime this summer. At this point, the agencies are considering a comment period lasting only 60 days, which is hardly enough time for citizens to digest, analyze and comment on the volumes of information that will accompany PacRim’s permit applications. Furthermore, the summertime is the worst time for public comment, because most Alaskans are fishing or enjoying the bounty of this great state. That’s why it’s important to let EPA know 1) the public comment period should occur after September 1, 2007, and 2) the public comment should be at least 120 days to make it a fair process. Send an email to EPA and let them know by clicking here.

Information Resources:

Please read the information below, and check back here soon for expanded information on coal impacts, climate change and renewable energy alternatives in Alaska.

See Inletkeeper NEPA Scoping Comments

PacRim Coal:

December 2005 Chuitna Project Overview presentation – see slideshow.

November 2005 Chuitna Project Overview presentation – see slideshow.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency:

Project Website (includes studies, permits, and other info)

www.chuitnaseis.com

EPA's Chuitna Scoping Document

EPA's Scoping Responsiveness Summary

For more information from EPA, contact Hanh Shaw (shaw.hanh@epa.gov).

Alaska Department of Natural Resources:

Coal Regulatory Program Web page: