KIVALINA,
ALASKA 99750
Telephone: (907) 645-2153
Facsimile: (907) 645-2193
A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE NATIVE VILLAGE OF KIVALINA’S INCLUSION IN A PETITION TO THE ALASKA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION TO ISSUE AN EMERGENCY ORDER PURSUANT TO A.S. 46.03.865(a).
WHEREAS, the Native
Village of Kivalina is a federally recognized tribe established pursuant to the provisions of the
Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 and amended in 1936; and
WHEREAS,
the
Kivalina IRA Council is the governing body for the Native Village of Kivalina;
and
WHEREAS,
the Native Village of Kivalina IRA Council recognizes the inherent sovereignty
and responsibility of our people to protect and preserve the quality of the
environment for the continuation of the culture and traditions of our tribal
members, and
WHEREAS,
from the
beginning of the Red Dog Mining operations, there have been serious
contamination issues such as run-off from waste rock stock piles that resulted
in fish kills, seepages from tailings into the environment, exceedances with
data that have been omitted from reports (DMRs), tailings lake without fencing
to protect the wildlife from entering the lake filled with festering
contaminated mining waste, truck spills that continue to increase, heavy metals
that continue to pollute the environment that supports the subsistence
resources that the people continue to live on at levels that can be detrimental
to the health of the people, numerous air violations, pump freeze-ups of pumps
that prevent seepages, TOTAL DISSOLVED SOLIDS exceedances that go far beyond
acceptable limits, and
WHEREAS,
the mine
has been in operation for twelve (12) years and is the richest zinc mine in the
world and should now enjoy immaculate management practices but continues to
operate with problems that continue to surface one after another, and
Resolution
01-16
Page
2
WHEREAS,
the
contamination along the Red Dog Haul road is an indication that the trucking
company is unqualified to haul processed ore in that anyone, even the most
untrained citizen in the shipping business, would know that lead and zinc dust
will blow if not adequately secured in a container providing proof that the
trucking company and Cominco are grossly negligent in their operations or are
unqualified to operate a mine, and
WHEREAS,
even a
housewife knows that with a sweep, dust will fly and a citizen living in the
arctic KNOWS that things such as pumps will freeze in severe arctic weather
conditions providing further proof that NANA as a partner and Cominco-Alaska
Ltd. as a mining company are grossly negligent and poses a health risk to the
people of Kivalina, now
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Kivalina IRA
Council authorizes that it be included in the PETITION TO THE ALASKA
DEPARTMENT OF ENIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION TO ISSUE AN EMERGENCY ORDER PURSUANT TO
A.S. 46.03.865(a).
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Kivalina IRA
Council begin discussions of a compliance audit of the mine with experts in
that field for contract purposes and authorize expenditures to that end.
BE IT FURTHERMORE RESOLVED, that the Kivalina IRA
Council call on the NANA Regional Corporation, Cominco-Alaska, Ltd., the Northwest
Arctic Borough, and Maniilaq Association to make good on their commitment to
protect the subsistence resources, cultures and traditions of the people by
acting on those commitments and start protecting without waiting till damage
has been done already by complying with the request of the Kivalina IRA
Council.
C E R T I F I C A T I O N
Passed
and approved by the Kivalina IRA Council on this 22nd day of June,
year of our Lord two thousand and one by:
___________________________________ ________________________________
President
Jerry R. Norton, Sr., President Mida Swan, Secretary/Treasurer
___________________________________ _________Polled _________________
Nelda
Swan, Member
Oscar Swan, Member
Date:
June 22, 2001