Fifty-four jewelers have pledged not to use gold from the proposed Pebble Mine in Southwest Alaska’s Bristol Bay, organizers claim.
The mine, a project of Anglo American, a shareholder in De Beers, and Northern Dynasty Minerals, would be the largest open-pit mine in North America. It has not yet received formal approval.
Anti-mine campaigners claim it will generate up to 10 billion tons of toxic waste that would be disposed in the Bristol Bay watershed, a major source of wild salmon. But the mine’s proponents argue it will bring jobs and economic growth to the area.
Among the jewelers who have joined the campaign: Zale, Helzberg, John Hardy, and Tiffany.
“Jostens recognizes that Alaska’s Bristol Bay Watershed is an ecosystem of national and international significance and,” said Richard Stoebe, communications director of Jostens, a prominent class ring company.