Communities Debate Potential Mine Near Mt. St. Helens

Fishermen, former loggers, and conservationists are just some of the groups with a stake in whether a mining operation takes root in Washington state.

1 minute read

October 12, 2017, 11:00 AM PDT

By Elana Eden


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Tomas Nevesely / Shutterstock

The U.S. Forest Service has permitted exploratory drilling in Washington's Green River Valley, near Mount St. Helens, after Canadian company Ascot Resources proposed drilling over 900 acres to determine whether the area holds enough gold and copper to warrant a full mine.

In an area that has lost employment opportunities from a declining logging industry, the potential mine has support. But the location is also one of the Wilderness Society's 15 places in the U.S. deemed "too wild to drill," and environmentalists say that an open-pit mining operation could pollute drinking water and threaten steelhead. One advocate suggested to Northwest Public Radio that looking to mining for renewed prosperity could also preclude an alternative economic future in outdoor recreation.

Monday, September 25, 2017 in Northwest Public Radio

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