I am very disappointed in Sen. Dan Sullivan’s complete disregard for the U.S. national land use environmental impact assessment process. Environmental Impact Statements review large projects using scientific and social analytical methods to assess the degree of negative impacts on our lands, fish, wildlife and people. This process assures the people of Alaska that we have an equal voice in basic choices about how our backyards are developed.
Immediately after publication of the Ambler Road Record of Decision, Sen. Sullivan — without any additional review — added a rider on a completely unrelated defense spending bill in Congress that ignored the voice of the people of the Northwest Arctic who have spoken out against building the Ambler Road. According to a NANA survey, 46% of NANA shareholders who live in the region oppose the road, 21% are unsure, and 33% support it. Additionally, most comments from Alaskans who live outside of this region, and many comments from U.S. citizens who live outside of Alaska, opposed this project. Sen. Sullivan also ignored the Record of Decision signed by the Director of the Bureau of Land Management for no action on the proposed road.
We elect our congressional delegation in an election process that was created so that each of us, from the people in Alaska’s cities to the rural residents, have an equal say. Unfortunately, Sullivan has chosen to ignore the will of the people who will be most affected by this project and just do what he wants.
Our objection to Sen. Sullivan’s rider is not solely about “procedure.” The Supplemental EIS for the proposed Ambler Road thoroughly examined the threats presented by this road – and the industrial mining complex it will facilitate – to fish, wildlife and the people (especially subsistence users) who value or depend on these resources. We recommend Sen. Sullivan read this document to understand the irreversible environmental and social impacts that will result if industrial mining is established in this region. Attaching a rider to an unrelated bill to require construction of a project that failed on its own merits is an underhanded way to circumvent the EIS process and ignore public will.
Our people showed up for the comment period the BLM had on the Ambler Road project. In our region, a vast majority of the comments were against the road. These comments were documented by our group and made public. We sent 220 written comments to BLM as well as the delegation. Our senator has shown complete disregard for the process of letting the people speak. We say no Ambler Road.
— Ruth Iten
Kotzebue
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