Dear Editor: On Tuesday, the city Assembly will vote on a bid from Highmark Marine to operate Sitka’s new boat yard. This decision is critical to the future of Sitka’s working waterfront.
In 2022, our community voted strongly in favor of building a marine haul out and boatyard in Sitka. As a fishing community, we recognized the need for a boat yard to sustain our fleet and economy. Thanks to that support, in a little over one month, the
Sitka boat yard will be ready to haul boats.
By Kendall Whitney and Linda Behnken.
This week marks the annual Wild Seafood Connection in Bellingham when independent commercial fishermen, chefs and seafood buyers come together to share information and build relationships in the local seafood marketplace. As they gather, we are reminded that small-boat fisheries sustain our food system and economy, providing nutritious seafood and renewable revenue.
Salmon Beyond Borders calls for ban on mine waste dams on transboundary rivers
Contacts:
Breanna Walker, Director, Salmon Beyond Borders; breanna@salmonstate.org; (218) 244-2723
Heather Hardcastle, Advisor, Salmon Beyond Borders; heather@salmonstate.org; (907) 209-8486
April 3, 2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JUNEAU, ALASKA—A disturbing report recently released by Canadian conservationists has revealed that Canada’s massive Red Chris copper-gold mine, located in Tahltan Territory in northern British Columbia (B.C.), Canada, is contaminating groundwater, creeks, and lakes in the upper reaches of the Iskut River, the largest tributary of the transboundary Stikine River. The Stikine, North America’s fastest free-flowing navigable river, flows into the United States at the community of Wrangell, Alaska. It is a critical salmon producer for both countries, serves as key habitat for a wide array of wildlife, and has been both home and a trade route for Indigenous peoples for thousands of years.
The report details an investigation conducted by Terrace, B.C.-based organization SkeenaWild Conservation Trust, mostly using data that is not readily available and was obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests. Report findings include that critical fish habitat near the mine has been destroyed and the seepage of contaminants like selenium and copper from the Red Chris Mine’s waste facility and waste rock piles is higher than predicted and could negatively impact aquatic life. The levels of selenium detected in fish tissue in nearby lakes are increasing and could be harmful to the fish and to the humans eating them. At elevated levels, selenium can cause mutations and death in fish and other animals. The impacted water bodies are an important source of food, clean water, and ways of life for residents of Iskut and the surrounding communities in Tahltan Territory, Northwestern B.C.
Additionally, according to the report, the toxic seepage at the Red Chris waste facility also poses risks to the stability of the mine waste (“tailings”) dams that are close to 150-feet and 260-feet tall, respectively, and hold in the toxic, acidic waste at the mine. The failure of the Red Chris tailings dams are predicted to significantly deteriorate or destroy fish and wildlife habitat downstream and could result in the loss of human life.
“We’re deeply grateful to the Canadian researchers who worked tirelessly to bring this information to light,” said Salmon Beyond Borders director Breanna Walker. “While the toxic seepage of the Red Chris Mine tailings dams impacts highlighted by the report are localized at this point, it is a cautionary tale. This is exactly why almost every Southeast Alaska municipality and several Tribes have called for a ban on mine waste dams along the Taku, Stikine, and Unuk transboundary salmon rivers. This is not about the U.S. versus Canada; it’s about the chronic problems with modern large-scale mining and the lack of industry-wide standards and polluter pays policies that will adequately protect people and the environment."
The tailings storage facility at the Red Chris Mine, co-owned by Newmont Corporation and Imperial Metals Corporation, has the same design as Imperial Metals’ Mount Polley Mine waste facility that failed in August 2014, sending 10,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools worth (6.6 billion gallons) of toxic sludge into the once salmon-rich Fraser River watershed. But the Red Chris waste facility is over six times larger than Mount Polley’s, and contains acid-generating waste. If and when they fail, the Red Chris Mine waste dams would likely adversely affect aquatic ecosystems and essential fish habitat even more significantly than what occurred at Mount Polley, given the larger volume and acidic nature of the Red Chris Mine waste.
“It’s mind-boggling that mining companies are allowed to build risky earthen mine waste dams in these pristine river valleys in the first place–especially since experts predict all tailings dams will eventually fail. The clean, cold salmon river systems of this region are the true wealth, not specks of gold and a giant lake of acidic mine waste that threatens the health of the entire Stikine-Iskut watershed,” said Salmon Beyond Borders advisor Heather Hardcastle.
SkeenaWild’s report comes in the middle of B.C.’s 30-day comment period, which closes April 10, 2025, on Red Chris co-owners’ proposed change of plans at the mine. Newmont Corporation and Imperial Metals Corporation propose to shift from open-pit mining to underground block-cave mining at Red Chris, to target low-grade ore bodies for copper and gold. Risks and uncertainties associated with block-cave mining include landslides and negative impacts to aquatic ecosystems, on top of the existing issues of toxic seepage and instability at the tailings storage facility as is outlined in the new report.
Background:
There are more than 100 Canadian gold-copper mines in some stage of operation, development, abandonment or exploration in the B.C.-Alaska transboundary region. Alaskans downstream face virtually all of the risks of Canadian mine projects while receiving none of the benefits. Multiple Tribes and almost every Southeast Alaska municipality have called for strong polluter pays laws and a permanent ban on new failure-prone mine waste dams along the transboundary Taku, Stikine, and Unuk Rivers flowing from B.C. into Alaska.
The news that substantive pollution is coming from the Red Chris tailings dams builds on concerns from Alaskans that have been growing for seven decades. Canada’s Tulsequah Chief Mine, of which Teck Resources is the historical owner, has been leaching acid mine contamination, unabated, for almost 70 years into the transboundary Taku River system, which enters the ocean just south of Juneau, Alaska.
Alaskans also learned recently in the media that Canada’s Premier gold mine, whose decades-old mine waste dams are located less than a mile from the Alaska border in the transboundary Salmon River watershed near Hyder, Alaska, was just slapped with tiny fines for “major” permit violations. In several cases, heavy metals in wastewater released from Premier’s tailings dams exceeded permit limits by 660%.
While these instances of B.C.-based mining pollution have occurred on different scales and timelines, they collectively highlight the need for improved mining regulations, including stronger polluter pays laws and increased coordination with Tribes and communities downstream.
Salmon Beyond Borders is an Alaska-based campaign working with fishermen, business owners, community leaders, and concerned citizens, alongside Tribes and First Nations on both sides of the Alaska-B.C. border, to defend and sustain our transboundary wild salmon rivers, jobs, and way of life.
Images of mining and contamination in the transboundary British Columbia, Canada-Alaska region are available for media use here. B-roll is available upon request.
Rebecca Howard is a marine biologist who spent six years in graduate school — largely funded by federal scholarship dollars — to earn a doctorate at Oregon State University. Last April, she was hired by the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration’s fisheries branch to join in annual surveys off Alaska that gather data vital to the management of the nation’s biggest seafood harvests.
The Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association stands in strong support of NOAA/NMFS's mission and commitment to sound science. Our fishermen rely on timely and accurate weather data for safety and trip planning; we rely on comprehensive resource surveys and sound science as the basis for fisheries management.
Tad was brilliant. He was also humble and kind. He could solve any problem and would drop everything to help a friend. He committed hours to research and data analysis, but took every opportunity to express gratitude to anyone else who worked for our fleet or helped in any way. Tad was an active ALFA member, always jumping in to help at every event. He was on the board of the Alaska Sustainable Fisheries Trust and board chair of the Seafood Producers Cooperative. He gave freely of his time, expertise and incredible facility with numbers and data. No one can fill the hole he has left in our community.
From National Fishermen:
As climate changes become more noticeable in Southeast Alaska, residents are eager for scientific data on what the future holds. According to the Alaska Sustainable Fisheries Trust (ASFT), the state’s southeast coast is projected to play a unique role as a climate refuge. This isolated area maintains habitat favorable to critical species. “Rainforest scientists such as Dominick DellaSala say we’re warming more slowly than nearby regions,” says ASFT board president Linda Behnken. “They believe there is potential for our region to become a stronghold where everything, from wild salmon to big conifers, can still find habitat.” This information and more is part of ASFT’sSeaBank initiative, a multi-disciplinary approach to identify, assess, and communicate the value of the Southeast Alaska ecosystem. “Our goal is to empower residents, visitors, and policymakers to make sound long-term decisions that promote stewardship and sustainable economics,” said Behnken.
To share this emerging science with the public, Behnken and her team will host an evening SeaBank Summit in Sitka on November 13. Keynote speaker Dr. Dominick DellaSala, chief scientist of Wild Heritage and leading coastal temperate rainforest expert, will guide attendees through the latest climate refuge data. Additional presenters include Gah Kith Tin Alana Peterson, executive director of Spruce Root, who will share thoughts on sustainable Southeast economies. Award-winning author and yellow cedar expert Lauren E. Oakes will also attend, reading from her forthcoming book Treekeepers: the Race for a Forested Future.
Beth Short-Rhoads, who recently produced ASFT’s newly launched podcast, The SeaBank Chronicles, brings the viewpoint of a citizen scientist to current research. “In sifting through this dense material as a layperson, I began to see that our situation in the Southeast Alaska rainforest is both simple and profound. The maritime rain and clouds that we take for granted and sometimes even complain about are really a kind of climate medicine,” she says. “Their buffering influence offers some protection against the extremes of rising planetary heat. That’s a benefit for Southeast and for the entire planet–and the intriguing story you’ll hear when you immerse yourself in a SeaBank Chronicles soundscape.”
ASFT’s Paul Olson, a commercial fisherman and environmental attorney, has also drawn on the research of DellaSala and other scientists, and will be unveiling the 2024 edition of his popular SeaBank Report at the summit. A data-based advocacy tool for policymakers and citizens, this 260-page report captures the economic benefits resulting from Southeast Alaska’s unique geography and climate. “Fisheries and tourism are mainstays of the region’s economy,” he says, “and we owe them entirely to the huge ecological wealth stored in the lands and waters around us. That’s why we call this place the SeaBank.”
“If we make the right choices now, we can positively influence the outcome of our Southeast SeaBank,” said Behnken. “We have the opportunity and the responsibility to safeguard this place– as Alaska’s Native people have since time immemorial.”
In addition to hearing from leaders in rainforest science, climate resilience, and sustainable communities, attendees will enjoy Thai Coho Wraps from Fireweed Dinner Service, non-alcoholic birch spritzers from Crooked Creek Birch, a no-host bar, and cupcakes. Opportunities to mingle with experts, listen to the SeaBank Chronicles podcast, participate in a silent auction, browse The 2024 SeaBank Report, sign up as a Founding SeaBank member and purchase holiday gifts will immediately follow the program.
The Summit is a fundraiser for the Alaska Sustainable Fisheries Trust, SeaBank Initiative. Doors open at 5:45, and dinner and the program begin at 6:00. Tickets are $20 and are available at https://thealaskatrust.org/seabank-summit or at Old Harbor Books. The event is open to the public and will be live-streamed on Zoom. Attendees interested in joining virtually can register on the ASFT website or here. For more information, contact ASFT Program Director Natalie Sattler at 907-738-1286 or email program.director@alfafish.org.
Corporate Sponsors for the Summit include Seafood Producers Cooperative, Fireweed Dinners, Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association, Alaskans Own and many more. Support for ASFT’s SeaBank Initiative includes funding from the Walton Family Foundation, the Edgerton Foundation, the Southeast Alaska Conservation Council, and many private donors and individuals.
ASFT is a non-profit dedicated to strengthening fishing communities and marine resources through research, education and economic opportunity.
John Sackton’s op-ed about climate change and fisheries, Winding Glass: Climate Change Turns Fisheries Sustainability on its Head, hit me hard, as I expect it did most fishermen.
On July 26, KSM Mining ULC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Seabridge Gold, Inc. received its “substantially started” determination from the British Columbia Environmental Assessment Office for its Kerr-Sulphurets-Mitchell (KSM) project. KSM is a huge proposed open-pit and underground gold-copper-silver mine targeting coastal mountains of northwestern B.C., within the headwaters of both the Nass River, which lies entirely within B.C., and the transboundary Unuk River which flows into Southeast Alaska near Ketchikan.
Why does this matter? According to B.C. regulations, an Environmental Assessment Certificate is the key overarching permit required for a reviewable development project to go forward. With the Certificate comes a stipulation that the project must be “substantially started” within 10 years, with an opportunity for a one-time five-year extension. The rationale behind the 10-year stipulation is that environmental analyses and the studies on which they are based should be relatively current. If a project is not launched in a reasonably timely way, environmental reviews, and the studies on which they are based, should be revisited to consider changing circumstances, new data, evolving environmental concerns, etc.
