Risks of mining to salmon and trout-bearing watersheds in the Pacific Northwest with Chris Sergeant

On Wednesday, October 26, the Alaska Collaborative on Health and Environment (CHE-Alaska) hosted a presentation on the Risks Of Mining To Salmon And Trout-Bearing Watersheds with lead author Chris Sergeant. This recently published article summarizes the types of mining and the character of watersheds in the Pacific Northwest  to highlight how mining affects our region’s salmon and trout bearing watersheds. Their research findings also describe the stages of the permitting process and mine development where potential mining-related harms can be identified and mitigated before they occur. Sergeant and co-authors write, “Considering that mining activities can have impacts that are long-lasting, spatially extensive, and costly to mitigate, there is a clear need to effectively link the science and known complexity of mining impacts to risk assessment and decision-making, particularly in ecosystems that support species of cultural and economic importance.”

Alaska Public Media’s recent radio show on Critical Minerals in Alaska described how existing and future mineral demands may increase the pressure to develop new mines in Alaska, including the mining of minerals required for a transition to renewable energy. Alaska is also home to the world’s most pristine and productive salmon habitat, and the state has already been grappling with how to balance mining and ecosystem health (e.g. proposed Pebble Mine). I encourage you to read the report by Sergeant et al. (available free at Science Advances website) and join us for a presentation and discussion of best practices for using science to inform mining policy in Alaska.