Letter to DOWA

What:

Chilkat River

The Chilkat River originates in Canada and flows past the Tlingit village of Klukwan, through the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, and past the community of Haines before merging into Lynn Canal.

Who:

Palmer Project

The proposed Palmer Project, a copper/zinc mine, would be located about ten miles WNW of Klukwan, adjacent to the Klehini River. The Canadian/Japanese joint venture would threaten the salmon runs that have returned for millennia to the rivers and streams of the Chilkat Valley, the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, and the people of Klukwan and Haines.

When:

The Japanese/Canadian developers of the Palmer Project are planning to start digging the tunnel into the mountain and constructing wastewater ponds 100 feet from Glacier Creek in 2019. We must stop DOWA and Constantine Metals Resources from advancing this misguided effort any further. If we don’t take action now, they will soon be releasing harmful chemicals and heavy metals into Glacier Creek and the Klehini and Chilkat Rivers, causing irreparable harm to the entire Chilkat Valley watershed.

How can I help?

Show your support by signing our petition to stop DOWA from mining in the Chilkat River Valley. For every 1,000 signatures received, we will send an email to DOWA using your name, email address, and country of residence as proof of signing the petition.

If you would also like to send your own personal message to DOWA, you can email them at info_dowa@dowa.co.jp

Donations to ACWA will be used to support this cause, and can be made HERE.

Here is the letter we will be submitting with the signatures:

Dear Members of the DOWA Holding Co. Board of Directors,

I am writing to express my strong opposition to your support for the Palmer Project near Haines, Alaska. The development of a copper/zinc mine a few miles upstream from the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve and the Tlingit Village of Klukwan demonstrates a total lack of concern for the welfare of an ancient people, and this rare and precious ecosystem. Few rivers left on Earth still support wild populations of five species of salmon, as well as the world-famous eagle and brown bear populations that only exist in the Chilkat Valley because of the return of these fish every year. The release of copper and other toxic contaminants into this river system will destroy this truly special place, and upend the lives and culture of the people who live there. The mine may only last a few years, but the threat of contamination from the waste piles and toxic ponds that will be built to remove the ore will last for centuries.  

The Chilkat Valley is the wrong place for a copper mine. Your company claims to care about the impacts your activities have around the world. Now is the time to walk your talk: suspend your support of the Palmer Project before the damage is done.

Sincerely,

Members of ACWA, and everyone who has signed this petition, listed below.