Palmer Project
Urgent Update:
Constantine has applied for an amendment to their Application for Permit to Mine in Alaska (APMA). Constantine appears to be exploring areas to put a tailings pile or ponds along the Klehini River.
This exploration is not planned for next year, it is planned for next month - June 2023!
What is the plan? Overburden drilling is planned for two areas, one north of Glacier Creek called "Plateau" and one south of Glacier Creek called "Klehini."
American Rivers has named the Chilkat and Klehini Rivers among America’s Most Endangered Rivers® of 2023, pointing out the threats of the proposed Palmer mine that would likely result in contamination of nearby creeks that feed directly into the two rivers. Learn more about the proposed Palmer mine here.
Sign the Petition
ADEC is denying the public’s right to weigh in on permitting for the Palmer Project's new waste management system.
Tell ADEC: The public deserves to be heard on the Palmer Project!
Help the Chilkat Indian Village respond to the toxic threat of a hardrock mine upstream from Klukwan.
The Chilkat Indian Village came out early and strong to protect their traditional way of life and the salmon-rich river that has sustained the ancient Klukwan Village for thousands of years.
CIV has a GoFundMe to support their water quality testing program and their ongoing mine response. Donate below.
Hold a film screening party!
The award winning short film, ‘Toxic Treasure’ is debuting now. Hold a screening party, take action, and pass the hat to raise funds for Lynn Canal Conservation. We’re the local, grassroots, boots-on-the-ground, member-based organization working hard to prevent this mine and protect this landscape.
Tell DOWA to divest their interest in Constantine’s Palmer Project.
The Japanese DOWA corporation owns 52% interest in the Palmer Project. Let them know that the global community will hold them accountable for their role in the inherently hazardous Palmer Project.
You can say something like this:
The Palmer Project is in the headwaters of a healthy salmon river, upstream of an ancient and ongoing Indigenous community and a robust fishing and tourist economy. The largest gathering of bald eagles in the world occurs in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve; a unique natural treasure that would be imperiled by development of the Palmer Project. The massive sulfide mining prospect is situated in an extreme environment, amid glaciers and avalanche paths, along active seismic faults. Polluting this pristine and precious watershed is inevitable with a project like Palmer. Please divest your interest in this hazardous, unethical project.
Mailing address:
Board of Directors, DOWA Metals and Mining Company, Ltd.
14-1, Sotokanda 4-Chome Chiyoda-ku,
Tokyo 101-0021,
Japan
Email address:
metalmine@dowa.co.jp
OR join our partners at SEACC and email DOWA here.
Tell Alaska Mental Health Trust to remove their support for sulfide mining on Trust Lands in the Chilkat Valley.
MHT provides services to Alaskans with mental health challenges. Why would the Trust allow mining a sulfide deposit on Trust Lands that will produce toxins known to cause mental and physical health problems? Toxic heavy metals from mining flow downstream and enter drinking water supplies and fish habitat, accumulating in the food chain and impacting human health. Out partners at SEACC have a sign-on letter you can personalize and send to MHT.
Learn more about the toxic legacy of hardrock mining, and current efforts.
The EPA reports the mining industry is the nation’s largest toxic polluter. Accoring to the Associate Press, every day hardrock mines collectively produce around 50 million gallons of contaminated water, threatening water supplies of downstream communities. The 1872 General Mining Law does not charge a fee for abandoned mine cleanup, and the cost often falls to taxpayers. The EPA estimates the backlog of cleanup costs for these mines at upwards of $50 billion. And unlike other extractive industries, under the 1872 law, mining companies pay no royalties. Over $300 billion in mineral wealth has been extracted from public lands without a dime going to taxpayers.
On October 23, the U.S. House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee approved the Hardrock Leasing and Reclamation Act of 2019. This legislation would replace the 1872 General Mining Law, which still governs mining for gold, copper, uranium and other hard rock minerals on publicly-owned lands managed by the federal government.
Urge your representatives to pass the #MiningReform law now.