"Poster Child in the Fight to Save Puget Sound"

Backbone Campaign has united with an energized and committed community island community to stop new industrial use in a publicly owned Aquatic Reserve. In one month the the protests grew from 50 people on the beach to 500, a blockade of roads, and nonviolent flotilla impeding a pile driver.

People are sick of politicians doing the bidding of corporations neglecting community and ecological health - and leaving the clean-up bill for future generations. This expanded industrial use in a protected area is clearly symptomatic of a broken system. We demand leadership from our Governor to reform the system, ally herself with the people of her state, and back-up her promise to clean up Puget Sound with a promise not to create new messes in pristine locations.

From King 5 website:
MAURY ISLAND, Wash. - By land and by sea, about 500 protesters descended upon the Glacier Northwest gravel site on Maury Island on Sunday.

Video: Hundreds protest Maury Island gravel pit
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It's not a local issue. Our entire Puget Sound is at stake. We have to take care of it, said Christine Alkire.

It's a battle that has stretched on for a decade, but Glacier now has the proper permits and a lease to build a dock that would expand the mine.

Opponents say the expansion would threaten an aquatic reserve and the island water supply with arsenic from the now defunct Asarco smelter:

They propose to dig up acres of contaminated soil and make a huge three story tall berm right above your drinking water at the top of this hill, King County Councilman Dow Constantine said at the rally.

Islanders are vowing to fight the mine politically, in the courts and taking the fight directly to glacier if necessary.

On Friday protesters temporarily blocked workers from laying the groundwork to restart the mine.

On Sunday, workers and King County Sheriffs deputies kept watch outside the Glacier site.

With no visible work going on, protesters were claiming a partial victory and promise no peace at the pit.

Anything could happen at this point I guess, said Logan Price, a Vashon Island native.

In the meantime, political Christmas carols ring out on the shores of Maury Island, with protesters buoyant over a hopeful new year:

We have a big voice and we're just hoping with all of our hearts that we can stop it, said Karen Fevold.

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