The struggle between the community in King Cove and the Secretary of the Interior took a negative turn last week.
A National Council of State Legislatures event was held last week. Alaska House Majority Leader Lance Pruitt was in attendance and asked Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell about her decision to refuse the construction of the Izembek Road. Pruitt says Jewell said “I wish that Alaskans would get over it.”
Although there is no recording of Jewell saying Alaskans should “get over” the Izembek Road, Pruitt says as soon as he heard it, he wrote it down.
The Izembek Road is a project that’s been stuck for years. It would provide an 11 mile road to connect King Cove and Cold Bay in order to help the residents of King Cove reach the all-weather airport in Cold Bay much easier and faster. Jewell has rejected the road.
Spokesperson for the King Cove Corporation Della Trumble says she was appalled at hearing what Jewell supposedly said, but not altogether shocked.
“In some degree I’d say we weren’t surprised. She has been cold and callous to this. She’s met with the people of King Cove, at one point she basically made the comment that she has to speak for the dead birds and our chief of police said well who’s going to speak for the people who have died? She has taken the birds over the human life time and time again.”
Trumble says telling the people of Alaska to get over Izembek is just another “stab in the back.” However, she says the residents of King Cove will continue to push for the road.
“The message from King Cove is that she has been told by every person in this community including little children at the school that she spent time sitting with, that this issue will never go away until we are satisfied with whatever the resolution is and we know the resolution is the road. We will continue to fight as long as this issue has not been resolved.”
A statement from the Secretary’s office denies her ever saying it and says Pruitt is “factually wrong.”