Update: After 170,000 of you asked Rio Tinto to pull its investment from the mine that would destroy the world's biggest Sockeye salmon run and almost 1,000 other SumOfUs members chipped in to fund a group of Native Alaskan leaders to travel to the Annual General Meeting to make their case -- Rio Tinto listened to our demands!
Our partners at Earthworks has confirmed that Rio Tinto has withdrew from the Pebble Mine proposal that threatens Alaska’s Bristol Bay watershed. Rio Tinto’s divestment from Pebble may not be the final nail in the coffin, but it’s surely one of the last. The Environmental Protection Agency will make the final decision on the Pebble Mine proposal later this year, and are leaning towards rejecting the mine. Without Rio Tinto's deep pockets, the remaining investors will not be able to afford the lobbyist to influence the officials making the decision on the mine. Thank you so much.
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The proposed Pebble Mine in Alaska will destroy the largest sockeye salmon run in the world -- and mining giant Rio Tinto holds the key to saving it.
If built, the Pebble Mine would be the world’s largest open-pit copper and gold mine. It’s vital that we stop this mine -- for the sake of the wild salmon, and for Alaskans who depend on local salmon to survive.
Rio Tinto owns a huge share of Northern Dynasty Minerals, the company that will operate Pebble Mine -- provided it is approved by the American Government. But there’s some good news -- the company may be reconsidering its holdings in Northern Dynasty.
In two weeks, Alaskan native leaders are attending are attending Rio Tinto’s shareholder meeting, and they will bring the voices of tens of thousands of SumOfUs.org members with them. Can you add your name to our petition?
Tell Rio Tinto to pull out of the mine that will destroy the largest wild sockeye salmon run in the world.
The proposed Pebble Mine threatens to pollute miles of pristine streams and wetlands -- and Bristol Bay, the home of 40 million sockeye salmon. The Bay supplies nearly 50 percent of the world’s commercial sockeye, generates $480 million in annual revenue and supports 14,000 jobs a year.
Another mining giant, Anglo American, dropped its stakes in Pebble Mine last year after originally investing $541m in the project. We know that Rio Tinto is also seriously thinking about pulling its shares from Northern Dynasty, and thus the Pebble Mine, and if it does the project will likely die. These companies know that groups working on the ground will fight to the end to protect Bristol Bay so its best to pull out instead of investing more in a project they will lose.
130,000 SumOfUs.org supporters asked Northern Dynasty to drop the mine last year. It hasn’t dropped the project yet, but if Rio Tinto dumps its shares in Northern Dynasty, the Pebble Mine will be as good as dead.
Please add your name to our petition to Rio Tinto to dump its support for this toxic mine.
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More Information:
EPA Says Pebble Mine Could Devastate Bristol Bay Salmon Fishery, Earthworks. 16 Jan 2014.