Alaska voters put mining over fish Alaskans were given an option Tuesday when voting on the Clean Water Initiative in the primary election: mining or fish. They chose mining. With more 84 percent of votes tallied, the measure was losing with more than 57 percent of voters rejecting it. Brian Kraft, a lodge owner and member of the Renewable Resources Coalition that fought for the initiative, said the mining industry was guilty of fear-mongering and spreading mistruths about Ballot Measure 4. Ballot Measure 4 would impose two water quality standards on any new large-scale mines in Alaska. Had it passed, it would have restricted large, new mines from releasing toxic pollutants into water that would adversely affect the health of humans or salmon. The ballot measure defined toxic pollutants as substances that will cause death and disease in humans and fish. Opponents of the initiative say if it had passed, it would have killed large-scale mining in Alaska....