{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.murkowski.senate.gov/press/release/alaska-delegation-requests-state-department-to-focus-on-transboundary-issues", "Alaska Delegation Requests State Department to Focus on Transboundary Issues", "2017-11-16", "2017", "2017-11", "Republican", "House", "AK", "Lisa Murkowski", "M001153", "www.murkowski.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.16.17\n\t\t\t Alaska Delegation Requests State Department to Focus on Transboundary Issues \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t Cites Concerns Over Water Quality in Southeast Alaska\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t The Alaska Congressional Delegation joined together with the State of Alaska to urge Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to address the downstream risks that mining in British Columbia may pose to Alaskan communities and habitats surrounding transboundary rivers. Senators Lisa Murkowski, Dan Sullivan, Congressman Don Young, Governor Bill Walker and Lieutenant Governor Byron Mallott wrote a letter (attached) to Secretary Tillerson, seeking his Department\u2019s engagement in their efforts to ensure that British Columbia institutes appropriate safeguards to prevent potential negative effects from the development of large-scale hard rock mine proposals and operations to transboundary waterways and fisheries. Additionally, the Delegation requested B.C. mining projects and potential impacts to Alaska be included on the agenda for upcoming bilateral meetings between the U.S. Department of State and Global Affairs Canada.\r\n\u201cWe, like this administration, prioritize the promotion and protection of American economic interests, which in this instance could be threatened by B.C. transboundary mining and inadequate financial mechanisms to assure long term management of toxic wastes and redress for damages from potential releases.\u201d\r\nIn their letter, the Alaska Delegation stressed the need for communication between the U.S. and Canada on this issue, for Alaskans\u2019 livelihoods and Alaska\u2019s economic stability, but also to industrial development and job security across the entire nation.\r\n\u201cAlaska\u2019s economy and culture are directly connected to our natural resources, many of which are nurtured by our vast river systems throughout the state. The Alsek, Chilkat, Taku, Whiting, Stikine, Unuk, Salmon, and Chickamin Watersheds drain from B.C. into Southeast Alaska.\u00a0 Increasing mineral development and legacy mining impacts in the Taku, Stikine and Unuk Watersheds threaten Alaska\u2019s world-renowned salmon runs, which support the commercial fishing and visitor industries and contribute to the way of life for Alaskans throughout the region.\u201d\r\nThe Alaska Delegation also explained how Alaska\u2019s fisheries are some of the most productive in the world, and represent the livelihoods and communities that are based around the natural resources of the region.\r\n\u201cAlaska is a resource state and we believe in thoughtful utilization of not only our fisheries but our other natural resources. Mining, like fisheries, is central to our regional economy by providing well-paying jobs and serving as the foundation of America\u2019s manufacturing sector. While we share common resource development interests with our Canadian neighbors, we must be assured that mineral development in B.C. does not disproportionally impact the ecosystem services we depend on in Southeast.\u201d\r\nThe delegation asked for consideration on the following requests ahead of the Secretary\u2019s upcoming meetings with the Canadian Delegation:\r\n \r\nEncourage B.C. officials to develop public outreach tools to better explain their processes for considering the cumulative impacts of proposed mining projects on transboundary waters during the environmental assessment process.\r\nDetermine whether an International Joint Commission reference is a suitable venue to evaluate whether mines operating in the transboundary region between B.C. and Alaska are implementing best management practices in the treatment of wastewaters and management of potential-acid-generating mine tailings and waste rock.\r\nEstablish a formal consultation process with U.S. state agencies, other federal agencies, tribes, and Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act corporations during the environmental assessment process, similar to the consultation process afforded to a cooperating agency under the National Environmental Policy Act in the U.S.\r\nSupport and work towards robust funding and other needed resources for developing a reliable database of water quality\u00a0 and related data for transboundary waters that can be used to track cumulative impacts, trends and significant episodic changes associated with operating and historic mines in the\u00a0 transboundary region.\r\nEstablish an interagency task force led by the Department of State and including the Department of Interior, the Environmental Protection Agency, and other agencies as necessary, to work in collaboration with the State of Alaska, and develop recommendations and direct funding to ensure protection of transboundary rivers.\r\n \r\nThe full text of the delegation\u2019s latest letter is attached.\u00a0\u00a0\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n    \n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n     \n\t\n \n\t\n    \n    \n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t  \n\t\t\n\t\t\t Related Files \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.murkowski.senate.gov/press/release/alaska-delegation-requests-state-department-to-focus-on-transboundary-issues"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.4250620733946562, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}