Alaska Metal Mines, The Track Record of Impacts to Land and Water from the Failure to Capture and Treat Mine Pollution, March 2020, written by Bonnie Gestring and published by Earthworks, reviews five major operating metal mines in Alaska based on state and federal documents. The report found 1) five out of five mines have experienced at least one major spill or other accidental release of hazardous materials, 2) four out of five mines failed to capture or control contaminated mine water, resulting in water quality violations that “often occurred over an extended period,” 3) four out of five mines have been identified as out of compliance with federal laws to protect clean air or water in the last three years, and 4) four out of five mines had Environmental Impact Study (EIS) processes that underestimated water quality impacts. Read the full report HERE.
