The gigantic Pebble copper and gold prospect in Southwest Alaska is one of the touchiest topics in Alaska today.
In this blog, I'll track news that is significant or interesting about the Pebble project. I'll also try to generate discussion and information sharing about some of the claims and counterclaims about the project, and mining in general.
Please keep your comments courteous and on topic. If you violate the ADN comment policy, your posts will be deleted.
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About Elizabeth Bluemink ebluemink@adn.com
I've been writing about mining in Alaska since 2004 and without a doubt, it is one of the most interesting topics that I cover at the Daily News. I've been a newspaper reporter for the past 10 years. In the Deep South, I specialized in reporting about environmental conflicts and pollution cleanups. For two years, I covered commercial fishing, mining and logging in Southeast Alaska. In my current job as a Daily News business reporter, I write about mining, tourism, Native corporations and other businesses.
Fisheries board weighs in on Pebble permitting - 2/5/2010 2:01 pm
EPA reviews mining rules - 1/27/2010 12:30 pm
Pebble won't apply for development permits in 2010 - 1/21/2010 7:11 pm
Dillingham vote on Pebble - 1/11/2010 12:41 pm
Upcoming state-led talk about copper toxicity - 12/17/2009 11:38 am
Native corps speak out on Pebble **Updated ** - 12/15/2009 6:35 pm
Pebble doles out grant money - 11/9/2009 4:41 pm
Hardrock mineral exploration, 07-09 statistics - 11/9/2009 2:12 pm
Diocese takes stance on water pollution - 10/23/2009 6:21 pm
Lots of Pebble-related news - 10/23/2009 5:02 pm
Pebble poll results - 9/22/2009 9:57 am
Pebble Update - 9/21/2009 1:06 pm
Supreme Court on Ballot Measure 4 - 9/18/2009 4:40 pm
Polling on Pebble - 9/18/2009 1:01 pm
Anglo exec moves up Forbes' most powerful women list - 8/19/2009 9:16 pm
Federal regulators give nod to Kensington - 8/14/2009 4:06 pm
Sockeye salmon meltdown - 8/13/2009 4:27 pm
Vacationing at old copper mines - 8/13/2009 2:19 pm
Maintaining water for fish - 8/10/2009 1:44 pm
Bicycling against Pebble - 8/7/2009 7:13 pm
Anglo profits slide - 8/1/2009 4:34 pm
Pebble says no dumping in Iliamna Lake - 7/30/2009 11:38 am
FEBRUARY 5, 2010 - 2:01 PM
Today I'm working on a story about a just-now-completed letter that the Alaska Board of Fisheries is sending to state House and Senate leaders about the Pebble project.
In the letter, the board asks the lawmakers for a comprehensive evaluation of the state’s permitting protections and standards in light of Pebble.
“While the BOF recognizes that no specific permitting plan has yet been proposed for the development and operation of the Pebble Mine, the board is still very concerned about the Pebble Mine development because of its potential magnitude,” the letter states.
JANUARY 27, 2010 - 12:30 PM
There's been talk lately about how the Obama administration is dealing with recent debate and litigation over Army Corps of Engineers permits that have been issued to fill in natural water bodies with rock waste from coal mines in Appalachia and the Kensington gold mine in Alaska. Federal rules were changed to allow such discharges during the Bush administration. According to a recent Rolling Stone profile of EPA administrator Lisa Jackson, another rule change might be in the works. (See page 2 of the story, which specifically refers to mining disposal practices in Alaska.)
JANUARY 21, 2010 - 7:11 PM
That's the word from the Pebble Partnership during a recent public debate about the proposed mine in Dillingham. It's a delay in the company's previous permitting schedule.
To listen to Mike Mason's public radio story about the debate, which featured Pebble Partnership chief executive John Shively, former state Sen. Rick Halford, and others, click here.
JANUARY 11, 2010 - 12:41 PM
The Dillingham City Council voted 5-1 last Thursday to oppose "all large scale mining" including Pebble in the Nushagak and Mulchatna rivers watershed. The drainages empty into Bristol Bay below Dillingham.
The city council also voted against applying for or accepting grants from the Pebble Fund, a charitable endowment for Bristol Bay community organizations created by the companies attempting to develop Pebble.
The Bristol Bay Times explained that the city council already opposes Pebble, but decided to vote on whether it would accept money from the Pebble Fund. The issue came up after a local hockey group received such a grant, and wanted the city to channel the money.
DECEMBER 17, 2009 - 11:38 AM
Some Alaskans have said that if the Pebble mine goes forward, the state first should review its water quality standard for copper, which at certain concentrations can harm a salmon's sense of smell, researchers say.
Looks like that review is underway.
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game this year completed a literature review of copper's effects on aquatic life.
In early February, the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation plans to host a panel discussion about the state's water quality criteria for copper at the Alaska Forum on the Environment in Anchorage.
DECEMBER 15, 2009 - 6:35 PM
Update: As more Bristol Bay entities speak up in support or against the BBNC resolution, I plan to revise this post.
12/17/09
* Nunamta Aulukestai, a group governed by the presidents of eight village Native corporations in the Bristol Bay region, is applauding the BBNC decision.
* Three other village corporations (Iliamna Natives Ltd., Kijik Corp. and Paug-Vik) criticized the BBNC decision.
Links to the all of the statements are attached below.
By ELIZABETH BLUEMINK (ADN Dec. 15 story)
Two Bristol Bay village corporations that own land near the massive copper and gold Pebble prospect said Tuesday they are outraged by their regional Native corporation’s decision to oppose the proposed mine.
NOVEMBER 9, 2009 - 4:41 PM
The Pebble Fund, a charitable fund created by the companies trying to develop the proposed mine, recently announced it is giving $600,000 to 18 groups this winter.
The Pebble Partnership says the funding demonstrates its commitment to providing benefits the region where it hopes to build the massive mine, but the foes of Pebble say the money is an attempt to buy people's support.
In the latest round of giving, the biggest dollar-amount recipient was the city of Nondalton, where some tribal leaders oppose Pebble (The city and tribal council co-signed an anti-Pebble resolution in 2005). The fund previously awarded $1 million to 33 groups last March. A third cycle of awards is expected in the spring. Here's the details:
NOVEMBER 9, 2009 - 2:12 PM
I wrote this story appearing in today's paper about the recent uptick in gold production in Alaska.
While I worked on that story last week, I was curious, too, about hardrock mineral exploration, so I asked some state officials to give me stats showing whether it's been up or down over the last few years. That data is below. As faithful Pebble Blog readers know, there is a lawsuit in state court right now claiming the state's current exploration permit process violates the state constitution. Will that lawsuit put a damper on next year's exploration? That's hard to say right now, because key rulings in the case are still pending. We'll at least know about how many companies applied to explore in 2010 by the end of the first quarter of the year.
OCTOBER 23, 2009 - 6:21 PM
Here's a resolution that was approved by the Orthodox Diocese of Alaska at its annual Assembly in Anchorage this week.
Resolution of the Assembly of the Orthodox Diocese of Sitka, Anchorage and Alaska Concerning the Sanctity of the Earth and the Responsibility all Alaskan Native People serve as its Guardians and Protectors
Whereas, according to the traditions and teachings of Alaska Native peoples, the Earth and the whole creation have always been perceived and experienced as filled with the sacred presence of Life, and
Whereas, historically Alaska Native peoples have approached all living and life-sustaining elements with reverence and respect, and
OCTOBER 23, 2009 - 5:02 PM
Here's a recap of recent events:
* A state judge recently declined to dismiss most of the counts in a lawsuit attempting to overturn the Bristol Bay land-use plan: Read more.
* Pebble opponents flocked to Capitol Hill this week to lobby for wild salmon and against the proposed mine: Read more at fixed link.
* The Alaska State Chamber of Commerce gave Pebble executive John Shively its 'Alaskan of the Year' award: Read more.
SEPTEMBER 22, 2009 - 9:57 AM
Nunamta Aulukestai, a Bristol Bay non-profit opposed to Pebble, today released a poll it commissioned about the proposed mine. I'm posting its announcement below. Previous polls or surveys relating to Pebble have been conducted by Bristol Bay Native Corp., the Alaska House Finance Committee, Northern Dynasty Minerals (a 2007 Dittman poll that was never published) and others.
Anchorage, Alaska – A new poll released today finds an overwhelming majority of Bristol Bay residents strongly prefer their subsistence lifestyle to the promise of jobs at the proposed Pebble Mine.
The poll, which is the most in-depth survey of local Alaska Natives’ opinion on the Pebble Mine, found that 79 percent of respondents believe the mine, located in the headwaters of two of the region’s largest salmon-spawning rivers, would damage Bristol Bay’s wild salmon fishery – a key resource that many residents depend on for income and food.
SEPTEMBER 21, 2009 - 1:06 PM
Last week, Sean Magee, a Northern Dynasty Minerals executive, gave a Pebble project overview to the Denver Gold Forum, an annual meeting of precious-metal investors.
You can listen to it here or read the Powerpoint here.
Nothing in the presentation is breaking news, but here are the main points that Magee shared:
* Eight alternatives are being looked at on how to develop Pebble.
SEPTEMBER 18, 2009 - 4:40 PM
Today, the Alaska Supreme Court published a 40-page opinion backing up its ruling last July to allow Ballot Measure 4 on the ballot.
Wow, that took a while.
You can read the opinion here.
SEPTEMBER 18, 2009 - 1:01 PM
Fyi, a new poll to be released next week.
The following is from a press release I received today:
New research into Bristol Bay residents’ opinions about the Pebble mine project and mineral development in the region will be released this Tuesday, September 22.
The poll is one of the most in-depth surveys of local Bristol Bay residents ever undertaken. Nunamta Aulukestai (Caretakers of our Land), a coalition of eight village corporations, commissioned the poll conducted by Anchorage-based Craciun Research.
Also on Tuesday, the local Alaska Native leaders and commercial fishermen who met with Anglo American executives in London last April will take steps to ensure that the company’s CEO Cynthia Carroll and former board chairman Sir Mark Moody adhere to commitments made to local communities.
AUGUST 19, 2009 - 9:16 PM
Forbes Magazine has published its annual list of the world's 100 most powerful women.
Cynthia Carroll, chief executive of Pebble stakeholder Anglo American, has moved up the list to the #4 slot. Forbes listed her as the world's fifth most powerful woman last year.
Forbes' list rankings are a combination of two scores: visibility--by press mentions--and the size of the organization or country these women lead, the magazine says.
AUGUST 14, 2009 - 4:06 PM
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers today reapproved the permit allowing the Kensington gold mine near Juneau to put its rock waste into a natural lake.
Another federal agency, the Environmental Protection Agency had weighed in recently, asking the Corps to consider big changes to the permit, which was recently deemed legal by the U.S. Supreme Court after a lengthy court battle between the mine, the state, federal agencies, and several Southeast Alaska conservation groups opposed to the permit.
The Corps said it received more than 8,000 comments before it reissued the permit with some minor modifications. Alaska's Congressional delegation recently weighed in strongly in favor of the lake disposal plan.
AUGUST 13, 2009 - 4:27 PM
British Columbia's Fraser River, which has large but troubled salmon runs, is occasionally invoked in the debate over Pebble. Hard-rock mining doesn't appear to play a significant role in the Fraser's problems but it's worth pointing out that the river is having another very bad year.
I'm posting a link to and a blurb from reporter Mark Hume's story in Canada's Globe and Mail today:
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The Fraser River is experiencing one of the biggest salmon disasters in recent history with more than nine million sockeye vanishing.
AUGUST 13, 2009 - 2:19 PM
I thought I'd share with blog readers a story pitch that I received from the Copper Development Association, which promotes all aspects of the copper industry, from mining to manufacturing.
Yes, I realize, some of you will view vacationing at a mine as a good thing, others not so much.
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Travel to Copper Towns, USA
Beautiful Scenery & Fascinating History for the Whole Family
NEW YORK – Aug. 13, 2009 – Looking for a great vacation spot? From Alaska to Virginia, take a look at the towns that grew up around the discovery of copper, the mineral that helped build America, according to the Copper Development Association.
AUGUST 10, 2009 - 1:44 PM
Here's an interesting story published in the Chilkat Valley News last week that sheds some light on how state regulators are interpreting their duty to protect fish habitat. It may trigger some blog readers' reflection on the Alaska Department of Fish and Game's role in maintaining adequate water for fish in the Bristol Bay region.
Here's the lede of the story:
Mining groups, a tribal organization, and some residents say they are concerned about an application by state Department of Fish and Game to appropriate minimum water flow levels in the Klehini River to maintain fish habitat.
AUGUST 7, 2009 - 7:13 PM
Here's an announcement from Trout Unlimited, one of the non-profit organizations fighting the Pebble project.
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Two brothers are bicycling from Alaska to Argentina to draw attention to Bristol Bay wild salmon and the threat the fishery faces from a proposed open-pit copper and gold mine.
Seth and Parker Berling, of San Francisco and San Diego, Calif., left Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, in early July to begin a 17,000-mile journey to Tierra del Fuego, at the southernmost tip of South America. The Berling brothers are making the trip to raise awareness about the proposed Pebble mine and how it could harm the world’s largest sockeye salmon fishery, located in Southwest Alaska’s Bristol Bay. The Pebble deposit is located in the headwaters of the Nushagak and Kvichak Rivers, two of the major salmon-producing rivers of Bristol Bay. If developed, Pebble would be one of the world’s largest open-pit mines. A diverse coalition of commercial and sport fishermen, Alaska Natives, lodge owners, guides, outfitters, scientists and others say the project is likely to expose the region to acid mine drainage, industrial discharges and habitat destruction.
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