In a recent letter, John Hirsh compares sediment from “pulverizing glaciers” and landslide debris to potential impacts of a mine at Glacier Creek. He concludes that because sediment from glaciers and landslides has not harmed fish runs, neither will mining.
Fortunately for fish, wildlife and people, glaciers and landslides do not target high sulfide mineral deposits the way mines do. Mining allows acid and heavy-metal-generating reactions to occur at much higher rates than occur in…