The pebble mine project creates a long term risk in the environmental, economic and social risk to the indigenous people of Bristol Bay. Pebble is the main copper core that is undeveloped today. However, due to the economic impacts that this undeveloped copper core has in the ecosystem, most of the UK jewelers and American jewelry manufacturers and retailers have vowed not to purchase gold for this pebble should it be developed. There are several economic arguments for and against the development of this pebble mine project. Arguments for the project suggest that the mining project and rights are controlled by the Canadian, Australian, British and the Japanese organizations but not the American corporations. This raises significant concerns about any purported advantage to the economy and industry of the United States (Ali, 2005).
It is vital to note that the pebble mine project is not in a position to provide considerable tax revenue to the states. As a result of the Alaska tax structure, the oil and the gas drilling returns over 20% of resource price to the country and metropolis and fishing returns 1% to 4.5%, and mining returns at an approximate of 1.5%. Arguments for the development of the pebble mine project on the economic factors are that, the Mine Project and activities surrounding is a source of revenue for government. The state of Alaska forecast the tax revenue on mining will be one of the most valuable sources of non oil tax revenue; this exceeds the revenue collected from fishing. Second, the pebble mine project will create well paying job opportunities for local people in an area that is increasingly stricken by poverty. For the construction of the Pebble Mine Project, there would be 2000available job opportunities. Finally, the pebble mine project is a provision for domestic resource of raw materials reduces the reliance on foreign materials by the government of the United States (Winona, 1999).