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Tulsequah Chief Mine Vancouver-British Columbia based Redfern Resources has dropped its plans for a controversial, 100-mile wilderness road to service its Tulsequah Chief mine in Northwestern BC, 40 miles southeast of Juneau. The mining company announced in a January 29 feasibility study report that it wants to employ a new type of barge to transport equipment and supplies on the Taku River instead of using a road for mine access. Known as an "air-cushion barge" or "hoverbarge," the craft would operate year-round to and from the proposed Tulsequah Chief mine. The proposed road from Atlin south to Tulsequah had been already granted environmental permits, but is opposed by Tlingit natives and environmentalists. The original Tulsequah Chief mine (1937 - 1957) on the Tulsequah River was operated by Cominco Ltd. who barged gold, silver, copper, lead and zinc down the Tulsequah and Taku Rivers to Juneau, Alaska. Local residents recall the extensive decline in salmon populations and the death of trees along the river bank. The mine was closed in 1957 due to low metals prices. The mine tailings at the Tulsequah site that led to the acid mine drainage continues to some extent today. The Taku River watershed is an 18,000 square kilometer (4.5 million acre) unroaded area is the largest pristine and unprotected watershed on the Pacific shore of the Western Hemisphere. The Tulsequah River is part of the larger Taku River watershed with glacial waters that empty into the Taku. The Taku River itself drains into the Pacific Ocean near Juneau, Alaska. This immense watershed, equivalent in size to the state of Massachusetts, is the traditional homeland of the Taku River Tlingit First Nation and contains habitats representing five biogeoclimatic zones ranging from high plateaus to lush coastal temperate rainforests. It contains some of the richest wildlife habitat on the west coast of North America and is home to grizzly and black bear, moose, caribou, mountain goat, salmon and many species of migrating birds and bald eagles. These species thrive here in large numbers due to the area's essentially untouched nature and the fact that it is only accessible by float plane, river boat or by foot. The Taku River is estimated to be the largest salmon producer in all of southeast Alaska and northern British Columbia. Major issues with the hoverbarge idea include potential spills, conflicts with commercial fisheries on the Taku River and Stephans Passage and boat wake erosion of property along the Taku River. The State of Alaska still has concerns including the effluent mixing zones and water quality, tailings pond safety and seepage, and acid discharge at the Tulsequah Chief site. Acid mine drainage from the mine could negatively impact salmon populations in both BC and Alaskan waters for years to come even after the mine is closed. See: http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/013007/loc_20070130003.shtml Pebble Mine The Pebble Mine project is a controversial proposal by Northern Dynasty Minerals to build one of the largest gold and copper mines in the world, in southwest Alaska, near Lake Iliamna. Northern Dynasty has not yet applied for permits, but their current proposal involves both a large open pit and an underground mine, as well as removal of the water from the headwaters of Upper Talarik Creek and the Koktuli River ( important fish habitats). The site sits at the headwaters of two major Bristol Bay drainages (Nushagak and Kvichak), and potentially poses a large threat to the region's salmon. The proposed Pebble Mine would include the largest dam in the world, larger than Three Gorges Dam in China, and made of earth not concrete, to hold back toxic waste. This proposal has become a major political issue in Alaska, pitting pro-mining forces against local native villages and commercial and sport fishermen.
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