Say it ain't so, Richard! According to a press release sent out by the Utah chapter of the Sierra Club, Snowbird Resort owner Richard Bass has partnered with William H. Hunt to form PacRim Coal LLC, which has submitted permit applications to build a coal mine directly on top of 11 miles of prime salmon fisheries feeding the Cook Inlet.
Really? One would think that owning a ski resort, a business which depends on the environment and good winters, would be enough to prevent someone from choosing one of the dirtiest methods possible, energy-wise, of making money. Apparently not. Most of the coal will be shipped and burned in China - a country not known for its clean air.
What makes the proposal by Bass even more absurd is the fact that his resort, Snowbird, is a leading member of the National Ski Area Association's Sustainable Slopes Program, and actually won the top award from the NSAA in 2007. I guess a lot really can change in a short time.
Comments
what a douchebag! i worked on that mountain in early 80’s…wonder if it was same owner. perhaps the global warming that he creates will melt his snow…boo-hoo….
This should be shocking. It’s sad testimony to our times that it’s not. Today’s Alaskans seem mostly interested in Burn Baby Burn and Drill Baby Drill. Selling our coal to China may very well be the final insult in it all. We’re gonna spew that filth into the enviroment and not even get the benefit of the energy?
I’d say it’s time for a boycott, but the fact is that the coal will make more money than the lift tickets. Maybe we should strike up a protest to keep him from getting the permits instead?
Just think of the profit margin if Richard could get some child labor from Indonesia!