A coalition of Pebble opponents on Wednesday filed a lawsuit to block the project's exploration and water use permits. You can read the story I wrote about it here.

In the rush to meet deadline, a few random details didn't make it into the story.

For example:

* There isn't any drilling occurring at the Pebble deposit right now (about 9 to 11 new holes were drilled in the spring), but the mining companies have told state regulators they hope to drill up to 37 holes this fall. That's if they aren't blocked by the lawsuit.
* Though state regulators didn't hold a public comment period or perform a best interest analysis for the Pebble exploration permit, the exploration permit application did trigger a state-led coastal zone management consistency review that included a public comment period. Some people did submit comments.
* The application for a mineral exploration permit from DNR is the exact same piece of paper as the application for a placer mining permit.
* There are a lot more rules and public notice requirements for land-based oil and gas exploration than there are for land-based hardrock mineral exploration. The best-interest analysis for oil/gas leases isn't for a specific project, however - it's for an entire area of the state. In any case, there's public comment periods for pending oil/gas lease sales, drill permits and seismic work. That's not the case for hard-rock exploration.