Opponents of the Pebble project are appealing to jewelers across America to boycott purchase of gold from the proposed massive open pit mine in Southwestern Alaska.
The full-page ad, which appears in the January issue of National Jeweler, an industry news publication, reads, “We need your help. Bristol Bay is the wrong place for a gold mine. No responsible jeweler would knowingly buy gold mined there. Your support will let customers know that you care about preserving your company's glowing reputation.”
Jewelers of America Inc., in a quick response to the ad, issued a statement Jan. 5, stating its support of responsible mining.
“It is through Jewelers of America's consistent and active work on responsible diamond and gold mining issues that we are able to demonstrate our underlying solidarity with the concept of protecting Alaska's Bristol Bay Watershed, its fish and wildlife habitat, and the commercial, subsistence and recreational ways of life in that area,” the jewelers organization said. “We believe that responsible sourcing should reflect mine development and operating criteria that do not threaten nationally or internationally designated protected areas or areas of high conservation and other ecological value.”
Jewelers of America is also a founding member and actively supports the Council for Responsible Jewelry Practices, an international nonprofit organization representing member companies across the gold and diamond supply chain. Council members are committed to promoting responsible business practices in a transparent and accountable manner throughout the industry from mine to retail.
The ad urges readers to take a look at www.protectbristolbay.org and to boycott such purchases. The ad is sponsored by the Renewable Resources Coalition, the Bristol Bay Alliance, Nunamta Aulukestai and Earthworks.
The Renewable Resources Coalition and Bristol Bay Alliance, both based in Anchorage, are opposed to development of the Pebble project. Nunamta Aulukestai is an association of eight Alaska Native village corporations in Bristol Bay, and Earthworks is a Washington, D.C.-based environmental organization.
Earthworks' Steve D'Esposito said the action offers the jewelry industry “a real opportunity to show their customers that they are committed to responsibly sourcing the gold that they use. The Bristol Bay protection pledge is an opportunity to make an on-the-ground commitment to the principles of responsible mining.”
The ad, also slated to run in the February and March issues of the tabloid, features a scenic photo of the Iliamna River in Bristol Bay. Opponents of the mine say it would threaten the Bristol Bay watershed. The mine would lie at the headwaters of the Koktuli River and streams that feed Lake Iliamna, the largest freshwater lake in Alaska.
The Pebble project lies on state land designated for mining activity. The federal Bureau of Land Management is proposing to open at least a million acres of federal public land in the region to mining.
Northern Dynasty Minerals, the Canadian mining firm that proposes to build the Pebble project 238 miles southwest of Anchorage, has argued repeatedly that the project will be environmentally safe and that people should wait until all the facts are in on the details of the project before making a decision on whether they favor or oppose the project. According to the company, the gold, copper and molybdenum project has a value of between $150 billion and $200 billion.
Northern Dynasty has also applied for water rights and to construct a dam that would rise more than 700 feet to hold mine tailings. The dam would be at the headwaters of two rivers critical to the Bristol Bay watershed. Critics say that dam would threaten the region and the watershed in the event of an earthquake.
Bobby Andrew, spokesman for Nunamta Aulukestai, said the Bristol Bay salmon fishery is vital to communities in that region for subsistence, as well as for the commercial fishing industry in which many residents are employed, and for sport anglers. “This type of massive industrialization at the heart of Bristol Bay will forever harm the abundant fish and wildlife resources that sustain this region,” he said.
Brian Kraft, a Bristol Bay fishing lodge owner and founder of the Bristol Bay Alliance, said backers of the ad are asking jewelers to join the effort to protect a world-class treasure. “Their customers will want to know that the jewelry they purchase does not come at the expense of the world's greatest salmon fishery and the communities that depend on it.”
Anchorage jeweler Josh Jennett, the state's only certified gemologist appraiser, said he hadn't seen the ad in National Jeweler, but that he was reserving judgment at this time on the Pebble mine.
“That mine isn't going to open up, in my opinion, unless they have done their due diligence and proven to the right people that the mine is safe to operate,” Jennett said. “If not, the mine is not going to open.”
Jennett said at this point he is not for or against development of the mine, but he doesn't want to see the area spoiled. “It's a fabulous area. It's beautiful. The fishing is fabulous,” he said. “I think it is a beautiful natural resource with or without the gold, but, as a state, we owe it to ourselves to look at it.
“If there is a totally safe way to do it, shouldn't we do it? And if there is not, we shouldn't. It's up to them (Northern Dynasty) to prove. We have to protect our state and our resources, but it's way too big of a find to ignore.”
Margaret Bauman can be reached at margie.bauman@alaskajournal.com.
