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In northwest Alaska, a proposed mining road has become a flashpoint in a region already stressed by climate change. The 211-mile (340-kilometer) Ambler Access Road will pass through the gates of Arctic National Park and cross 11 major rivers and thousands of streams dependent on salmon and caribou. trump The administration approved the project this fall, allaying concerns about how the Inupiaq way of life could survive amid rapid environmental change. Many fear that the road could collapse the ecosystem, yet they also recognize the need for jobs.
Strategically important mineral reserves
ambler mining The district is one of the largest undeveloped sources of copper, zinc, lead, silver and gold. North AmericaDemand for minerals used in renewable energy is expected to grow, although most copper mined in the US currently goes to construction – not green technologies, Critics say the road raises broader questions about who sets the terms of mineral extraction on Indigenous lands,
Climate change has already destroyed subsistence resources
Northwest Alaska is warming nearly four times faster than the global average – a change that is already affecting daily life. The western Arctic caribou herd, once nearly half a million strong, has fallen 66% in two decades to about 164,000 animals. Warm temperatures delay cold and snowfall, disrupting migration routes and keeping caribou high in the Brooks Range where hunters cannot easily reach.
Salmon Run has suffered repeated collapses as record rainfall, warming rivers and melting permafrost turn once-clean streams. In some areas, melting permafrost has released metals into waterways, increasing stress on already fragile fish populations.
A local environmental official said, “The elders who have lived here all their lives have never seen such environmental conditions.”
What’s left of the road is at risk
The Ambler Road would cross a vast, largely undisturbed area to reach major deposits of copper, zinc and other minerals. Building it would require approximately 50 bridges, thousands of culverts and more than 100 truck trips a day during peak operations. Federal biologists warn that naturally occurring asbestos can be blown up by passing trucks and deposited on waterways and vegetation on which caribou depend. Bureau of Land Management Approximately 1.2 million acres of nearby salmon spawning and caribou calving habitat have been designated as being of “critical environmental concern”.
Mining would draw large amounts of water from lakes and rivers, disturb permafrost and rely on tailings facilities to contain toxic sludge. With record rainfall common, low-lying communities fear contamination of drinking water and traditional foods.
Locals also worry that the road could eventually open to the public, inviting outside hunters into an already stressed ecosystem. Many point to Alaska’s Dalton Highway, which opened for public use despite earlier promises that it would remain private.
Ambler Metals, the company behind the mining project, says it uses controls proven for work in permafrost and will treat all water that comes in contact with the mine according to strict standards. The company says it tracks rainfall according to the size of the facilities for heavy rainfall.
A potential economic lifeline
For some, the mine represents opportunity in a region where gasoline can cost around $18 a gallon and basic hunting trips have become prohibitively expensive. Proponents argue that mining jobs could help people stay in their villages, which face the highest costs of living in the country.
Ambler Mayor Conrad Douglas summarized the tension: “I don’t really know how much the state of Alaska is willing to jeopardize our way of life, but people need jobs.”
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Follow Anika Hammerschlag on Instagram @ahammergram.
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