Alaska Mine Boss Admits Illegal Toxic Dumping

ANCHORAGE, AK – Robert Pate, 63, of Spokane, Washington, is facing federal felony charges after admitting today to deliberately polluting Alaskan waterways and then covering it up. The former general manager of the Platinum Creek Mine in Platinum, Alaska, pled guilty to three violations of the Clean Water Act, and to making false statements to federal officials, according to a statement released by U.S. Attorney Karen L. Loeffler.

Pate, who oversaw operations for XS Platinum, Inc. from February 2010 to June 2012, knowingly discharged wastewater directly into Platinum/Squirrel Creek *without a permit*. He also violated the terms of XS Platinum’s existing Clean Water Act permit concerning discharges into the Salmon River. The jig was up when he falsely claimed “no discharge” occurred in the 2010 Annual Report filed with the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation – a blatant lie documented by his own records.

According to the plea agreement, Pate didn’t just let a little dirty water slip into the creeks. He *documented* the illegal dumping of turbid effluent – process water filled with suspended particles, sediments, and potentially dangerous dissolved metals – into the Salmon River beginning in July 2010. When that wasn’t enough, he oversaw the construction of a ditch to *divert* the toxic runoff into Squirrel/Platinum Creek, again without authorization. The discharges continued well into 2011, all while Pate actively concealed the pollution from regulators.

“Enforcement of our environmental laws is a priority for federal law enforcement in Alaska,” declared U.S. Attorney Loeffler. “It is essential to balance the importance of resource extraction to Alaska with the importance of doing it safely and in accordance with the law and regulations. Mr. Pate’s guilty pleas to federal felonies sends the proper message that there are consequences to illegal actions and we will vigilantly enforce environmental laws.”

John C. Cruden, Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division, echoed that sentiment. “The defendant had a responsibility to ensure the wastewater at the Platinum Creek Mine was handled safely and responsibly but instead took specific actions that posed serious risks to the environment. By pleading guilty, the defendant has admitted responsibility and will be held accountable under our nation’s environmental laws.” Jay M. Green, Acting Special Agent in Charge of EPA’s criminal enforcement program in Alaska, emphasized the potential harm: “The wastewater…contained pollutants that posed a potential threat to both aquatic life and human health.”

Bud Cribley, State Director BLM-Alaska, underscored the importance of compliance. “This guilty plea highlights the importance that mining permittees adhere to the regulations that govern their operations, and how important it is for them to be open and transparent in their reporting obligations.” Sentencing for Robert Pate has not yet been scheduled. Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and report on the consequences for this blatant disregard for environmental protection.