Recently I was invited by the Rebels Against Pebble out of Dillingham to participate in a panel discussion. Our side of the panel was made up of Native leaders, subsistence fisherman, commercial fisherman, the director of the Renewable Resource Coalition and a former Alaskan Senator. We were there to defend our abundant renewable resources and our clean water that sustains them and us.

The other side of the discussion was made up of a couple small native corporations that aim to benefit financially from the Pebble prospect, John Shively, Ceo of the Pebble Partnership and also a spokesperson from the Department of Natural Resources. There has never been a sulfuric mineral mine that hasn't contaminated ground water. When you are talking about putting the biggest one in North America in and around our spawning areas there is a big reason to be defensive. We were not the only ones being defensive, the three native corporations sitting on the other side of the panel were as well. They were "screaming" for jobs, economics. It was brought up that they may be the scape goats though. What happens when their development corporations that are doing contract labor screw up? They already have and have dumped thousands of gallons of diesel on the Pile Bay road, right next to iIliamna river.

We are just in the beginning stages of this project. What happens when these native development corporations are hauling millions of gallons of fuel. Wont they be held liable and Pebble will remain with a clean record? Jack DiMarci from DNR went from saying that the permitting process was very technical to saying mining isn't rocket science. Most residents do not trust the process and have a lack of trust in the process. Never has a mine in Alaska been turned down once in the permitting process. 100% approval rating. The majority of Bristol Bay residents are opposed to the Pebble Mine Project, even our children. I was very proud of the Rebels Against Pebble for putting this panel on. They have a clear view of our sustainable environment that has provided for the residents of Bristol Bay for thousands of years. The youth has expressed that we co-exist with the environment. If we take care of it, it will take care of us. We do not own this land and its resources, we are the guardians of this land and its resources.

-- Everett Thompson of Naknek
www.naknekfish.com

Watch former state senator Rick Halfords testimony from the debate below....