Committee for Safe Communities (CSC) was formed in 2023 by a group concerned about public safety on Alaska roads. CSC’s mission is to advocate and educate about road safety and socioeconomic and environmental concerns impacting all Alaskans. Based in Fairbanks, CSC believes that all Alaskans deserve the right to enjoy their beautiful state free from unreasonable risks to their personal safety. At issue: companies being allowed to haul ore in trucks that can weigh more than 164,000 pounds when loaded across 200 miles of highway including bridges that were built during World War II. CSC holds government officials accountable; petitions for proper environmental and safety studies as required by state and federal laws; requests that mining officials share their plans to ensure the safety of residents and visitors; and demands that projects be placed on hold until all the required studies, permits and safety plans have been completed and vetted by non-biased professionals.
CSC is an all-volunteer organization comprising members who live in the Alaska Richardson Steese Highways Corridor between Tetlin and Fort Knox. CSC is a nonprofit organization. All funding sources for CSC have been provided by donations from private individuals. To date, no funding has been accepted from corporations, organizations, or federal, state or county governments. All funds donated to CSC go to pay for legal fees as well as education and awareness of public safety concerns, particularly at the Manh Choh mine in Tetlin and its ore hauling operations. The group filed a lawsuit in Alaska Superior Court in 2023 seeking to stop the mining company from hauling double-trailer trucks filled with gold ore across a wide swath of Alaska’s public highways. In its filing, CSC notes that the roads are not officially designated for such a hauling operation and puts residents and school children along the route at risk in the event of an ore-hauling accident.
For more information:
Alaska group seeks injunction against Manh Choh ore haul, DOT responds – KTVF-TV, December 2023
Contact
Kelli Reep
Website
Social Media
Climate Impacts
Water Contamination
Environmental Justice Concerns
Air Pollution, Mining, Noise/Light Pollution, Port/Transit/Highway Contamination/Noise
Strategies
Community Organizing and Education, Legal/permit challenges to development, contamination, pollution, etc, Policy Reform, Political activism, including protests, petitions, and lobbying
501c3 Tax Deductible
Yes
Accepting Donations
Yes