As a kid growing up, my parents taught me a basic truth: sometimes you can't have it both ways. Now as an adult, I've learned in the case of large-scale mining operations, sometimes salmon and mining can't coexist.
There's no doubt that Delaware-based PacRim Coal's proposed open-pit coal strip mine in upper Cook Inlet would have severe impacts to the Chuitna watershed and the healthy salmon runs it supports.
PacRim's own draft mine plan calls for completely removing miles and miles of salmon streams in Middle Creek, a tributary to the Chuitna River. It also calls for draining hundreds of acres of surrounding wetlands and discharging 7,000,000 gallons of mine wastewater back into the Chuitna River every day.
PacRim Coal wants Alaskans -- and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game -- to believe there will be no adverse impacts to fish in the Chuitna watershed. They want us to believe they can build a new salmon stream after they mine down 350 feet through it. Restoration at that scale has never been done before anywhere on the planet, and scientific experts say it cannot be done.
The Chuitna coal mine is a clear case where mining and salmon can't coexist. It's a choice between one resource or another: wild Alaskan salmon or cheap coal to China. Because of the undeniable impacts to salmon, our local group of Alaskans, which includes property owners, hunters, fisherman and small business owners, spent over seven years and tens of thousands of dollars to file three applications to keep enough water in Middle Creek -- the stream PacRim intends to remove -- to support spawning and rearing habitat for salmon so we can continue to fish the Chuitna.
Last month, the Department of Natural Resources granted us one in-stream water reservation, for the stretch of Middle Creek that falls outside of the proposed mine area, but it denied our two reservations inside the mine area. Nonetheless, the one water reservation gave us hope that our agencies would work with us to protect the river and salmon we depend on. But a who's who list of corporations that profit off Alaska's public resources appealed the decision, and are making the argument that everyday Alaskans shouldn't be allowed to keep water in our wild salmon streams.
Why are they so afraid? The water reservation DNR granted us is not even in the mine area and in no way stops PacRim from seeking permits from relevant state and federal agencies.
In reading the industry appeals, much of their argument focuses on the fact that we are a non-governmental group and, according to private industry groups like PacRim Coal, we should not be allowed to keep water in our salmon streams.
The hypocrisy is astounding. Private industry groups, including those from Outside such as PacRim, hold water rights as a regular part of their day-to-day business. In fact, PacRim has filed applications for private water rights to take 100 percent of the water out of Middle Creek so it can mine completely through the stream. A key difference here is that industry water rights seek to take water out of our fish streams, making them unavailable to Alaskans and the resources we rely on. Our in-stream flow rights, on the other hand, simply look to keep water flowing through our fish streams for the benefit of all Alaskans.
PacRim Coal and its corporate allies want it both ways. They want to hold exclusive, private out-of-stream water rights, but they don't want Alaskans to be allowed to keep water in our streams for fish and wildlife. They want Outside corporations to be counted as "people" in the permitting process, but they don't want regular everyday Alaskans like me to have the same rights they do.
Something smells fishy. And it's not the salmon in my freezer.
Ron Burnett and his wife Bobbi owned a small business in Anchorage for more than 25 years. They split their time between Anchorage and Beluga, and are founding members of the Chuitna Citizens Coalition, a group opposing PacRim's Chuitna coal mining plan.
The views expressed here are the writer's own and are not necessarily endorsed by Alaska Dispatch News, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a piece for consideration, e-mail commentary@alaskadispatch.com