A multi Millionare from California has gotten a group of environmental people togeather and have undertaken to stop a large mining operation from being permitted. This guy has a fishing camp near the mine location and does not want any progress in his little private paradise. He does not care about the rest of the people living in the area. He also does not care about how many jobs will be created by this operation. He has already spent several million on an advertising blitz to turn Alaskans against this project. Most Alaskans are not fooled by his false and preposterous claims. We know better, mining can be done in a safe and responsiable manner. We currently have several large operations that are not harming the environment. One mining operation did have a problem, but the state reacted quickly and every bit of the damage was cleaned up and the area restored back to it's original condition. The accompanying fines convinced the operators this should never happen again.
Most of the people in Alaska, and the majority of our Legislatures, and Governor, all back the Pebble Mining Prospect. As far as most Alaskans are concerned we need this mine to bring jobs and other things to the state. America also needs this mine. Let me explain.
The Pebble Prospect is looking like the biggest find of Copper, Gold, and Molybednium in the world. Molybednium is one of the ingredients used in making steel. There is other minerals there as well in lesser, but removable amounts. Once started Pebble will be the biggest mining operation in the world. It will employ large amounts of people, in an area of the State and Country that has one of the highest rates of unemployment. The locals are begging for it to hurry up and start so they can start making a paycheck to help support their families without having to leaving the area for work. Currently there is nothing there on the site but Tundra.
1. The buildings will have to be built. Adminastrative Buildings, Shops to repair and maintain equipment, Storage Buildings and Warehouses. Buildings to house the minning operation equipment. Buildings to house and care for the workers, such as Dorms, Dinning halls, a small Hospital, Fire Dept. and Recreation facilities.
2. A railroad will have to be built from the mining location to Tide Water. Port Facilities will have to be built, where their currently is nothing but open coast.
3. The Equipment. The largest Dump Trucks, Loaders, and Drag Lines ever built will need to be ordered, built, and trasported to the area. This equipment is built by firms like Latourno in Lousianna, and Catapiller in Kansas (I believe), meaning jobs in the lower 48. This stuff is not built overnight either. This will mean several years of employment to build these rigs. Then many more years of employment to continue to build replacement parts, as these big rigs are used and parts wear out or get damaged in operation. Plus all the suppliers these corperations will be ordering parts, materials, and supplies from. Such things as Electronic componets, conduit, bearings, welding rod, and everything else used in the manufactoring of these large rigs. And don't forget the Fleet of pick-ups, fork-lifts, and small front end loaders, as well as all the equipment to maintain the roads and working pads all gravel and the size of a small city.
4. Transportation. Just one wheel with mounted tire is a load for one Semi-truck. The trucks and loaders will all have to be shipped in pieces and assembled on site. Some of those pieces will be extreamely large and heavy. These parts will have to be transported across country by truck. Put on barges at a port and shipped to the new port facility in Alaska. Then shipped by the new railroad to the mining site.
5. More jobs for people in the lower 48, the builders will have to ship Mechanics to the mine site to assemble these monsters, not just any mechanic will be able to do this job. The heavy lifting equipment to assemble this equipment will also have to be brought in, and in some cases built as well. The builders of the equipment will also have to train the equipment operators to operate this equipment. They will also have to train the maintenance crews to maintain these monsters.
6. The operations. After everything is on location, and all the building are built, the actual mining operation will began. An operation on this scale will run 24-7. Employing hundreds of workers in the daily operation. Hundreds of workers will be employed by contractors to supply things like Fuel, Lubricants, Food to feed the crews, a fresh supply of drinking water, Laundry service, Hand Tools, and everything else needed to supply a small working city.
I personally have talked to several State Legislators one on one about the State helping with the Rail Project. Instead of putting in a port facility in the middle of no-where, why not extend the rail line to the existing port at Pt McKensy, across the in-let from Anchorage. Then the 17 miles on to Wasillia and the Alaska Rail Road. This would give rail access to the Lake Clark area of the state. The Alaska Rail Road could furnish the trains and personnel to move all this equipment to the site.
Now this Californian has gotten a group of people togeather and is going to Washington DC to try and stop this much needed project. The Anti ANWR crowd will immediately jump aboard and start lobbying to stop any development in Alaska, not knowing any thing other than it will take place in Alaska, therefore it must be stopped. Again we are not a State. We are a Colony.
Here is a site about what these misguided people are doing. With the exception of a few Alaska Natives that have been bought off, all these people are not Alaskans. Even the Commercial Fishermen are not from here, they are from Seattle and Oragon.
http://newsminer.com/view/full_story/12585543/article-Coalition-brings-fight-for-Bristol-Bay-fish-to-Washington? 
