Last month, Pebble sponsored a group from South Africa to travel to Bristol Bay to talk about the community benefits of one of their mining operations -- the Mogalakwena mine. Anglo American, the mining company behind Pebble, originated in South Africa, so they have a long history of operations in that country. It made sense to hear what they had to say.

While we were happy to welcome guests from another country, it's apparent that there are vast differences between their situation and ours, and we were troubled to discover that the mine they're promoting for its community benefits has been the subject of an investigation by the South African Human Rights Commission.

The 10,000 miles that separate South Africa's Limpopo Region and Alaska's Bristol Bay are emblematic of the broad differences in climate, population, land use and culture.

The Mogalakwena mine is a platinum mine, a fraction of the size of Pebble, in the dry savannahs of South Africa. The region's population exceeds 5 million, and it is unable to meet its water needs from its local supplies.

Unlike Bristol Bay, there is no world-class fishery, nor the enormous economic and cultural benefits that result from it. It is as far from Bristol Bay and the proposed Pebble mine as one can imagine.

Even if the situations were similar, we still don't understand Pebble's decision to feature this mine. The 2008 report by the South African Human Rights Commission indicates that the impacts to many local community members were quite severe. Thousands of local farmers were moved from their traditional lands to make room for mining operations, some of whom were opposed to relocation.

In the report, the Human Rights Commission voiced concern over issues including lack of potable water, lack of adequate sanitation, environmental pollution, insufficient agricultural land to sustain subsistence therefore threatening food security, negative perceptions over the award of compensation, limited access to education and potential lack of cultural sensitivity during grave relocation.

An article in the London Independent describes a 2007 incident in which 15 elderly women faced down bulldozers in their fields in protest against being relocated from their traditional lands.

In reviewing the company's annual reports, we've also discovered that many of the mines in South Africa owned by Anglo American through its subsidiary at the time have resulted in serious mine spills. In 2005, over 24 million gallons of waste water spilled at the Vaal River mine, 2.6 million gallons of process water at the West Wits Mine, and 900,000 gallons of slurry at the Ergo Mine.

We've learned a great deal from this experience, but it wasn't what Pebble hoped to convey. There are many reasons to oppose the Pebble mine. And this visit just helped to confirm that.