mine. after pebble, it would harder for regulators to turn down other mining claims. >> if pebble mine is permitted and they develop a port and the road and the power, it would be a game changer for that region of alaska. and there are so many other claims around that i just think it's just step one out of hundreds of mines. so i would see no end to mining in that district; it would go on for a century or two probably. >> it would be a huge and very, very fundamental change in the way of life forever. if this particular mine is permitted, the whole land use in that region would go not progressively but relatively rapidly to a mining district. and the question is, who has the authority to make that decision? because there's no specific permit for changing the bristol bay region into a mining district. >> it could become a mining district. is that good or bad? i mean, if it's done right, i mean, it provides more economic opportunity for the area, and if the fish can survive along with it, it seems to me that that's a positive because, you know, one of the other criticisms we get is, well, this isn't