Victories

Lake Won't Be Obliterated by Waste

In Brief: Pristine Alaskan lake won't be used to dump toxic mining waste.

Lower Slate Lake, AK

Photo by Irene Alexakos

UPDATE: On March 16, 2007, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals signaled that it was going to rule against the Army Corps of Engineers -- blocking the Kensington Mine from using Lower Slate Lake as a tailings dump. 

Slate Lake, Slag Lake

The Coeur d'Alene Mining Company recently received permission from the Army Corps of Engineers to open a mine north of Juneau, Alaska, above Berner's Bay. The miners plan to build a large dam to raise the level of Lower Slate Lake and then, over several years, fill it with 4.5 million tons of mine tailings, killing all aquatic life in the lake.

Not So Fast

Anglers, subsistence users, and conservationists were horrified at the prospect, pointing out that not only would this destroy the lake, it would also be a dangerous violation of the Clean Water Act and could seriously weaken the law as it is applied across the country. They enlisted Earthjustice to file suit.

Relief at Hand

On August 24, 2006, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ordered that all work on the waste-disposal system be halted pending appellate court review, and in December reafirmed this ruling.

Updated: March 16, 2007