Are you kidding me? Where is the Alaskan data that supports this? It certainly doesn’t exist in the NANA region, where YZ_ZYWdSL^=PO/ZR^TRYTQTNLY_WdTYN]PL^PO_SP\`LWT_d of life for generations of shareholders and residents, but it has also supported Alaska Native Corporations and their shareholders throughout the state. 4_T^LM^PY_TY1LT]MLYV^3PLWd/PW_L5`YN_TZY and the surrounding interior areas where not only have Usibelli, Fort Knox and Pogo employees been long-term positive contributors to the social fabric of their communities, but generations of placer mining families have literally built the communities we know today. It is nowhere to be seen in Southeast Alaska where the miners at Greens Creek and Kensington are recognized as part of the glue that holds their communities together, not only through their economic impact, but through their proven volunteerism, charitable donations and just flat-out being good neighbors. It doesn’t exist at Donlin, Palmer, Ambler and Pebble, where current and future social impacts are integral to their project planning. It certainly doesn’t exist in the multitude of exploration projects around the state where operators fully understand that the way they conduct business, both on and off shift, set the stage for how a community will embrace a
mining project. To say that I am outraged and offended by those who perpetuate the myth of miners as undesirable is a complete understatement. I am proud to have worked more than 20 years in the mining industry and my wife and daughter are proud to be part of an Alaskan mining family. We are proud of Alaska’s miners and their contribution to Alaska communities, and we know you are, too. People and groups that spread this type of misinformation are never held accountable and it is time for that to change. It is obvious that proponents of these attacks have lost the battle of science and reason when it comes to opposing mining projects. They are sadly left with ad hominem insults that they indiscriminately hurl in the hopes of stoking fear in the hearts of the uninformed. The Alaska Miners Association will always stand strong against these attacks. We know you will stand with us in promoting and defending Alaska’s vibrant mining family.
Mike Satre AMA President
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October 2019
The Alaska Miner
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