>>> AND WE’RE BACK NOW WITH OUR SERIES, MR. SMITH GOES TO, AND
THIS MORNING, HARRY IS TAKING US
TO A PRISTINE BUT PROBLEMATIC
SPOT IN ALASKA WHERE A HIGH
STAKES BATTLE IS UNDERWAY.
HARRY, GOOD MORNING.
>> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. POP QUIZ.
POP QUIZ. >> OKAY.
>> OKAY. WE’RE READY.
WE’RE READY. >> IT’S REALLY HARD, I THINK,
FOR A LOT OF AMERICANS TO
UNDERSTAND JUST HOW BIG ALASKA
IS.
IS. IF YOU TOOK TEXAS AND MONTANA
AND CALIFORNIA, STUCK IT INTO
ALASKA, THERE WOULD STILL BE
ROOM LEFTOVER.
ROOM LEFTOVER. >> WOW.
>> WOW. >> LET ME TAKE YOU HERE TO THIS
PART OF ALASKA, RIGHT IN HERE,
HERE’S ANCHORAGE, GET THE
DIZZIES, ANCHORAGE IS RIGHT IN
HERE.
HERE. BUT IF YOU GO SOUTH AND WEST,
RIGHT, YOU GO SOUTH AND WEST
DOWN HERE ABOUT 200 MILES AWAY,
THERE’S THIS AMAZING PRISTINE
AREA, THIS LAKE RIGHT HERE, IT’S
THE SIZE OF LAKE ERIE.
>> WOW.
>> WOW. >> YOU’VE NEVER EVEN HEARD OF
IT.
IT. AND WHAT THEY WANT TO DO RIGHT
THERE, THAT’S WHAT’S GOT PEOPLE
TALKING.
TALKING. TO MANY OF US, ALASKA IS OTHER
WORLDLY.
WORLDLY. IT’S VAST AND STUNNING
LANDSCAPES, IT’S WILDLIFE, IT’S
FLAT OUT JAW DROPPING GRANDEUR.
RIVERS SO CLEAR, THE SALMON RUN
UNIMPEDED BY THE MILLIONS.
>> BABY SALMON, THEY’LL COME
BACK INTO THE SAME SPOT WHERE
THEY WERE HATCHED.
>> HERE, THERE ARE BODIES OF
WATER THE SIZE OF LAKE ERIE,
WITH WATER CLEAN ENOUGH TO
DRINK.
DRINK. AND INTO THIS WILDERNESS MAY
COME A MINE.
A GIANT OPEN PIT MINE.
MORE THAN A MILE WIDE AND
THOUSANDS OF FEET DEEP.
HOW BIG A PLAY IS IT?
>> THE ENTIRE DEPOSIT THAT WE
HAVE LOOKED AT IS ONE OF THE
LARGEST THERE IS IN THE WORLD.
>> THIS IS GOING TO BE THE PIT.
>> GOLD, COPPER, SAYS PEBBLE
GROUP CEO TOM COLLIER, IF
GRANTED, THEIR LEASE WILL LAST
20 YEARS.
20 YEARS. >> WHAT DO YOU THINK IS IN
THERE?
THERE? WHAT IS YOUR GROUP THINK IS IN
THAT GROUND, AND WHAT WILL IT BE
WORTH TO YOU OVER THAT 20 YEAR
SPAN?
SPAN? >> OVER THE 20 YEAR SPAN,
BILLIONS, I DON’T HAVE THE EXACT
NUMBER AT MY FINGER TIPS.
>> BUT LIKE LOTS OF BILLIONS.
>> LOTS OF BILLIONS.
>> IT’S A VERY VALUABLE PROJECT.
>> NOT 20 MILES AWAY FROM THE
MINE SITE IS THE VILLAGE OF
ILIAMNA.
ILIAMNA. >> THIS IS WHERE MY MOM GREW UP
IN THIS HOUSE.
>> HOW ABOUT THAT.
>> 19 CHILDREN.
>> LISA RIMER’S FAMILY HAS LIVED
AROUND HERE FOR GENERATION, TRUE
NATIVES.
NATIVES. >> IT’S NOT LIKE HOW MY DAD DID
IT WHEN HE WAS GROWING UP, HE
WOULD SNOW SHOE, DOG SLED, TRAP
WITH ACTUAL TRAPS, SKIN IT, SELL
THE FUR, IT’S NOT LIKE THAT
ANYMORE.
ANYMORE. >> NO.
>> NO. MODERN LIFE REQUIRES MORE.
PRICES AT THE LOCAL GROCERY ARE
GROTESQUELY HIGH.
GROTESQUELY HIGH. >> $13.49 FOR A HALF GALLON.
>> HALF GALLON.
>> AND JOBS OUT HERE, 200 MILES
FROM ANCHORAGE ARE FEW.
SO THE RYMER FAMILY, INCLUDING
THEIR 72-YEAR-OLD MOTHER ALL
PITCH IN, THEIR CORPORATION
HOUSES AND FEEDS THE SCIENTISTS
AND RESEARCHERS WHO WORK AT THE
MINE SITE.
MINE SITE. >> THEY’RE NOT WAITING FOR
GOVERNMENT TO HAND US FREE
THINGS OR FREE MONEY.
THEY SAID YOU COULD MAKE UP TO A
HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR.
>> AS NATIVE GROUPS GO, THEIR
PRO MINE STANCE IS NOT POPULAR.
>> YOU KNOW, PEOPLE SAY, WELL,
THOSE FOLKS UP IN ILIAMNA, THEY
KIND OF SOLD OUT.
THEY’RE IN BED WITH THOSE MINING
FOLKS.
FOLKS. >> AND WE HEAR THAT ALL THE
TIME.
TIME. WE MADE A DECISION ON OUR OWN TO
DO BUSINESS, SO OUR VILLAGE
DOESN’T DIE.
DOESN’T DIE. >> WE CLIMB ABOARD A SEA PLANE
TO SEE WHAT MINE OPPONENTS SAY
IS AT RISK.
A WIDESPREAD AND UNSULLIED WATER
SHED THAT PROVIDES THE SPAWNING
GROUNDS FOR ONE OF THE LAST
GREAT SALMON RUNS IN THE WORLD.
>> SEEING ALL THE FISH DOWN
THERE.
THERE. >> MAN, OH, MAN.
WHEN YOU FIRST HEARD ABOUT THE
MINE, WHAT DID YOU THINK?
>> GREAT, THIS IS GOING TO BE
ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES.
ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES. >> YOU THOUGHT IT WAS A GOOD
IDEA.
IDEA. >> I THOUGHT IT WAS A GOOD IDEA.
I KNEW NOTHING ABOUT MINING.
>> KEEP PRESSURE ON, A NICE BEND
IN THE ROCK.
>> BRIAN CRAFT OWNS AND OPERATES
TWO FISHING LODGES HERE.
HE FEARS AN ACCIDENT AT THE MINE
COULD DESTROY THE SALMON RUN
DOWN RIVER IN BRISTOL BAY, A
BILLION AND A HALF DOLLAR
INDUSTRY.
INDUSTRY. >> ASKING FOR EXAMPLES WHERE IT
WAS DONE RIGHT, AND WHEN YOU
LOOK AT MINING AROUND THE WORLD,
SOME OF THE POOREST MINING ARE
MADE WHERE THERE’S WATER.
>> WATER MIXED WITH THE RESIDUE
FROM MINING MAKES FOR A HIGHLY
TOXIC WASTE.
TOXIC WASTE. IT NEEDS TO BE SAFELY AND
PERMANENTLY STORED.
PERMANENTLY STORED. A BREACH OR A FAILURE OF WHAT
WOULD BE BILLIONS OF GALLONS OF
POISON IS WHAT WORRIES FOLKS.
>> I’M ABOUT AS EMOTIONALLY
INVESTED IN THIS AS YOU CAN GET.
>> CRAFT’S OPPOSITION RUNS DEEP.
HE RECALLS A DAY YEARS AGO WHEN
A LOCAL VILLAGE ELDER TOOK HIM
BY THE ARM AND SQUEEZED HARD.
>> HE GRABS ME FOR A SECOND, AND
HE GOES, BRIAN, TAKE CARE OF THE
WATER.
WATER. IT’S WHO I AM.
IT’S IN MY SOUL.
AND I JUST, WOW.
THAT WAS ABOUT AS HEAVY A MOMENT
AS IT GETS.
>> IT’S REALLY A FALSE CHOICE
WHEN PEOPLE SAY YOU’VE GOT TO
CHOOSE BETWEEN ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION AND NATURAL RESOURCE
DEVELOPMENT.
DEVELOPMENT. YOU CAN IN FACT DO BOTH.
>> TOM COLLIER INSISTS HE’S AN
ENVIRONMENTALIST TOO.
ENVIRONMENTALIST TOO. THAT’S HIM AS A MEMBER OF THE
INTERIOR DEPARTMENT UNDER
PRESIDENT CLINTON.
PRESIDENT CLINTON. >> THAT MUST HAVE BEEN JUST A
DAY OR TWO INTO THE
ADMINISTRATION.
ADMINISTRATION. >> COLLIER SAYS THE RISK OF
DOING IRREPARABLE DAMAGE IS
ZERO, AND HE SAYS IT WOULD BE A
MISTAKE FOR AMERICA TO FORFEIT
THE OPPORTUNITY TO MINE ITS OWN
MINERALS.
MINERALS. >> THE ONLY OUTCOME HERE IS THAT
WE’RE GOING TO EXPORT MINING TO
COUNTRIES THAT DON’T HAVE
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, MUCH
LESS GOOD SAFETY LAWS TO PROTECT
LABOR.
LABOR. >> THE VILLAGE SITS AT THE HEAD
OF THE QUIJAK RIVER, FED BY
ILIAMNA LAKE, 2,700 SQUARE MILES
OF SOME OF THE CLEANEST WATER ON
EARTH.
EARTH. >> FOR CHRISTINA, ENSURING THE
PURITY OF THESE WATERS IS
PERSONAL.
PERSONAL. >> WE’RE THE FIRST VILLAGE DOWN
STREAM, THE FRESHNESS OF THIS
RIVER IS WHAT WE FIGHT FOR.
THIS HAS BEEN THE LIFE BLOOD OF
OUR PEOPLE FOR 10,000 YEARS.
>> WE TOOK A SMALL BOAT INTO THE
LAKE.
LAKE. >> IT’S CLEAN ENOUGH TO DRINK
RIGHT OUT OF THE LAKE.
>> YES.
>> YES. >> I’M GOING TO HAVE SOME.
>> IT DOES TASTE GOOD.
WOW.
WOW. >> PEOPLE THINK I’M CRAZY WHEN I
SAY THE WATER TASTES AMAZING,
BUT IT’S REALLY GOOD.
>> AN ELDER UP THE LAKE TOLD ME,
THE U.S. DIDN’T BUY ALASKA FOR
THE SCENERY.
THE SCENERY. IT WAS FOR THE RESOURCES.
BUT CHRISTINA SALMON SAYS
NOTHING IS WORTH THE RISK TO
THIS PRICELESS RESOURCE.
>> THEY SAY THEY HAVE DONE THE
SIGNS, THEY SAY THEY CAN DO IT
SAFELY.
SAFELY. THEY REALLY FEEL VERY STRONGLY
THEY CAN DO IT SAFELY.
>> WHAT IF THEY’RE WRONG, WHAT
IF THEY’RE WRONG.
THIS ISN’T WORTH THEM BEING
WRONG.
WRONG. >> AND FOR THOSE OF US WHO HAVE
SPENT TIME IN THE WEST OR LIVED
IN THE WEST, WE HAVE SEEN WHAT
MINING PRACTICES CAN DO.
THERE’S NOT ENOUGH SUPER FUND
MONEY IN THE WORLD TO CLEAN UP
SOME OF THOSE MESSES.
THEY SAY WE’VE GOT THE
TECHNOLOGY NOW WHERE WE KNOW HOW
TO DO THIS, ET CETERA, ET
CETERA, SO YOU CAN FEEL THE
POWER OF THIS TUG OF WAR, BUT
JUST FOR FUN, KID, WE BROUGHT
SOME WATER BACK.
>> WOW.
>> WOW. >> SO.
>> SO. >> IS THIS WHAT WE’RE DRINKING?
>> THIS IS RIGHT OUT OF ILIAMNA
LAKE.
LAKE. >> OKAY.
>> OKAY. >> TASTES GOOD.
>> IT’S SMOOTH.
>> IMAGINE THERE IS STILL A
PLACE IN THE PLANET WHERE
THERE’S A LAKE THE SIZE OF LAKE
ERIE, A GREAT LAKE THAT YOU HAVE
NEVER HEARD OF AND THE WATER IS
STILL THIS CLEAN.
>> YOU MUST HAVE GOTTEN SUCH A
KICK PUTTING YOUR CUP IN THERE,
RIGHT OUT OF THE LAKE.
DON’T DO THAT IN THE HUDSON
RIVER.
RIVER. >> I THINK YOU MAKE A GOOD POINT
WITH THAT.
WITH THAT. >> YOU CAN.
YOU JUST SHOULDN’T.
>> YOU KNOW WHAT, IT’S A REALLY
INTERESTING PROVOCATIVE ISSUE.
>> AND THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON
FOR A LONG TIME.
THEY HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT
THIS FOR MORE THAN A DECADE.
DURING THE OBAMA EPA
ADMINISTRATION, THEY SAID, THEY
ALMOST PUT A STAKE IN THE HEART
OF THE MINES, A COUPLE OF BIG
MINING CORPORATIONS HAVE ALREADY
BACKED OUT OF IT.
THERE’S A NEW REGIME, IT’S NOW
GOING TO BE UP TO THE CORE OFPS
ENGINEERS, THEY’LL DECIDE
SOMETIME IN THE NEXT YEAR OR SO
IF THEY’RE GOING TO SAY OKAY.