Despite local opposition from the villages most affected by the proposed industrial access road and no outline of fiscal benefits for the State of Alaska, AIDEA has convinced the Walker Administration to proceed with filing the permit applications for the Road to Ambler. Instead of stopping this expensive and time-consuming process before it begins, the Administration is moving forward with the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process for the road. AIDEA now has the green light to spend $3.6 million on filing the permit applications and initiating the EIS process for the Ambler Road project, but the cost of the EIS alone is expected to run at least another $4.2 to $6.8 million.
“Once the EIS application is filed, work will include: conducting public outreach meetings, meet with tribes, local communities, evaluate road routes, and examine the merits of all transportation modalities, including rail.” writes Director of the Office of Management and Budget Pat Pitney.
Pitney’s comments come despite dozens of meetings over several years between villagers and AIDEA, and before that with the Alaska Department of Transportation. Those meetings resulted in village resolutions against the road from Allakaket, Alatna, Bettles, Evansville Inc., Kobuk and Tanana Chiefs Conference. The resolution from Evansville Inc. effectively blocks prime access from the Dalton Highway at the road’s inception. The villages most impacted by this project made it clear: no industrial-access road.
The EIS process triggers more than just meetings with the communities and tribes who have already voiced their opposition to the road. It starts the permitting process for this road and triggers a process with the National Park Service for a right-of-way across Gates of the Arctic. That right-of-way process, once started, can’t be stopped and is likely to cost several million dollars.
The road is estimated to cost at least $430 million to build, not including maintenance and the costs of the environmental review and permitting process. It does not have financial plans identifying how it will be paid for, or even what the state hopes to generate in revenue associated with it. Funding for road maintenance and preservation is also an expensive unknown.
Please write the Governor and your state legislators and tell them the time to stop wasting state dollars is now. The EIS process will require millions more from state funds that do not exist. The state is already entering into its third special legislative session this year in a frantic search for dollars to pay for needed services.
The state of Alaska should not waste public funds moving forward with an ill-conceived industrial access proposal for a private mining company.
This unwanted and unwarranted EIS process should not be started. The message to AIDEA has already been loud and clear: There is no substitute for clean water, healthy caribou and a Brooks Range free of industrial roads and open pit mines.
We must tell the Governor: The logical stopping point for this project is now, before the EIS process begins and before AIDEA files any permit applications. Click here to email him or send a letter to:
Office of the Governor
PO Box 110001
Juneau, AK 99811-0001
Feel free to use this sample letter:
Governor Walker,
This unwanted and unwarranted EIS process for a proposed road to the Ambler mining district should not be started. The state of Alaska should not waste public funds filing a permit application and starting the environmental review process for an ill-conceived industrial access proposal for a private mining company. Allakaket, Alatna, Bettles, Evansville Inc., Kobuk and TCC have all passed resolutions against this road after dozens of meetings with AIDEA. The resolution from Evansville effectively blocks prime access from the Dalton Highway at the road’s inception.
By authorizing more meetings and more scoping you are telling Alaskans that your administration is not listening to their overwhelming distrust of this proposal. The failures of the Parnell Administration and his Roads to Resources campaign should not continue to stain your administration as well.
During these times of financial uncertainty AIDEA needs to be brought to task and focus on viable, researched and supported options for Alaska’s fiscal future. This boondoggle meets none of the criteria.