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March 17, 2006
Red Alert
by Soren Wuerth

Battling mega-mines will take more than an environmentalist at a computer

     At a packed conference in a Bethel church, locals heard about the Donlin Creek project—a desperate proposal to turn another vast watershed into a massive open pit mine.

     Besides the usual impact of roads, cyanide-laced tailings, and humans with guns, power to operate the mine could come from the construction of a 150-mile transmission line and a new coal plant in Bethel. Bethel residents would then watch 400,000 tons of coal barged up the Kuskokwim River each year to an emitter of smog, toxic wastes, soot, ash and sludge.

     I moved closer to the radio and strained to hear who would represent the sane perspective at the conference. There was an Alaskan group with the uncertain name, “Alaskans for Responsible Mining.”

     I looked up ARM on the net and found a single page with a name and address at the bottom. When I emailed the fellow, I got an instant “out of the office” reply.

     This is it . . . a single guy against an industry responsible for the largest threats to Western Alaska in the history of the state?

     Where are the environmental groups?

     Mining has always been a difficult issue. Years ago, I got some terse words back from the Northern Alaska Environmental Center when I asked what they are doing about the Ft. Knox mine, one of the largest, ugliest and most toxic cesspools to hemorrhage our lands in years. I knew hundreds of railroad cars of cyanide would be transported through Anchorage destined for a fragile ecosystem. We even entertained the idea of a human blockade.

     Stopping, or even challenging, the mine wasn’t in the Northern Center’s game plan, however. The Fairbanks organization instead kept its focus on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. It had the attitude of a new age vibes watcher, wringing his hands and yelping, “can’t we just get along?”

     Like its Anchorage counterpart, the Alaska Center for the Environment, the Northern Center’s campaigns and messages have always been bland. These organizations have always followed to a failed formula delivered to them by their funders.

     If they are not quietly blowing money on the bureaucratic dead-end mazes that government agencies invent, they are using donor dollars to ask that people waste time writing letters to the very politicians who craft the abhorrent legislation.

     “Stop, stop,” I’m used to hearing when I criticize their strategies, “why aren’t you going after the bad guy?”  My tireless response: “pretend you and your friends are fighting a war, the enemy is charging, and your friend has a big bazooka. The first problem is to get your buddy to point his bazooka in the right direction.”

     To be fair, poor aim isn’t exclusive to the environmentalists.

     The Democratic Party as a whole reacts to the right wing menace like the shaky cop in a horror flick who shoots at random directions into darkness.

     Fortunately, there are some people coming to the rescue for places endangered by mega-mines. Fishermen and fisherwomen, hunting guides, determined communities, and even Republicans like former Sen. George Jacko are landing blows against powerful mining interest in the Pebble Creek battle south of Donlin.

     These are people who have a stake in the decision, who are filled with passion, and who won’t take “no” for an answer.

     The next time you’re donating to a cause, surf over to bristolbayalliance.com and become a member of a winning team.

     As for Donlin Creek, Bethel could use more wild voices.

























 Soren Wuerth is perhaps Alaska's best known community activist. He resides in an undisclosed location in rural Alaska and can be reached at soren@insurgent49.com.
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Editor's Desk
by Aaron Selbig

Red Alert
by Soren Wuerth

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by Neil Zawicki

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in-sur-gent (in sur'jent), n. 1. a member of a group which revolts against the policies of its leadership.