I want to thank our local doctors for bringing up the potential health-related effects of a large-scale mine on our community. The question is not whether or not miners are good people, of course they are. The question is whether or not a mine the size and scale of Constantine is the best choice forward for Haines and Klukwan. To suggest that doctors would treat miners differently flies in the face of their Hippocratic oath and questions their unimpeachable integrity. This type of approach muddles the discussion and makes others less likely to engage.
To deny that there will be impacts on our social fabric as well as our water quality is to deny history. Rather than attack our doctors, I suggest that we look very carefully at the potential negative social and environmental impacts we will face. The big questions are: What are the risks and rewards of a high-sulfide mine like Constantine for Haines and Klukwan? What types of impacts have mines like Constantine had on other small communities in Alaska, the lower 48, and around the world? What would Haines and Klukwan be like if our fisheries were damaged beyond repair? Our Mining Forum could be a place where these issues are discussed in a beneficial fashion. Unfortunately, the “Mining Forum” has become a mouthpiece for the pro-mine lobby. It does not provide an opportunity for balanced discussion and debate.
Joe Ordonez