Pebble Mine

by Channel 2 News staff Wednesday, July 29, 2009 ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- In a poll conducted by Channel 2 News, respondents were asked if they supported or opposed the Pebble Mine project. Here is the official question and results of the 752 people who voted. Do you support or oppose the Pebble Mine project? Support 49 % Oppose 51 % All polls conducted by Channel 2 News and KTUU.com are unscientific.

A judge heard closing arguments Friday in a trial looking at state-issued exploratory permits near the proposed Pebble Mine site. Eight Bristol Bay village corporations brought forward the lawsuit against the state and the Pebble Partnership The court has to decide whether the state should have taken more steps before issuing the permits. The plaintiff's attorney says the state should have done a public interest survey before approving any drilling. The defense claims this is an attempt to interfere with the Pebble Mine project as a whole.

by Mary Pemberton The Associated Press Monday, February 1, 2010 ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- The potential riches at Pebble Mine, a huge minerals deposit in southwest Alaska near Bristol Bay and the world's most productive wild salmon streams, keeps growing. A new estimate of the gold, copper and molybdenum at Pebble is larger than the 2008 estimate, growing 12 percent for copper, 14 percent for gold and 16 percent for molybdenum, used to strengthen steel. Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd., which is developing the prospect with Anglo American PLC, says Pebble contains an estimated 80 billion pounds of copper, over 100 million ounces of gold and 5.6 billion pounds of molybdenum.

by The Associated Press Wednesday, March 24, 2010 JUNEAU, Alaska -- Two state lawmakers have requested a study of the impacts of developing a world-class copper-and-gold prospect at the headwaters of Bristol Bay. Sen. Bill Wielechowski and Rep. Bryce Edgmon asked the Legislative Council to provide funding for an independent, third-party review of the potential effects of the proposed Pebble Mine. The request Tuesday follows a joint legislative hearing last week and a request earlier this year by the Board of Fisheries.

by The Associated Press Sunday, April 18, 2010 KENAI, Alaska -- The nation's second largest jeweler recently announced it will boycott gold from the proposed Pebble Mine in Southwest Alaska, but that might be a hard pledge to keep. Pat Taylor, a professor of chemical metallurgy and metallurgical engineering at the Colorado School of Mines, says tracing the origin of gold is no easy task. Taylor says when a mine recovers gold, it's typically sent to a refinery and largely mixed in one big pot. He says refiners generally source ore from a number of different mines.

by Channel 2 News staff Thursday, March 25, 2010 ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- A group called Nunamta Aulukestai hosted a public meeting Thursday night to express concerns about the proposed Pebble Mine. The group, whose name means "caretakers of the lands" in Yup'ik, hosted the hearing at the University of Alaska Anchorage. The organization, which is made up of eight village corporations, says it's worried about potential environmental damage from the mine and the impact that might have on Bristol Bay salmon runs.

by Ted Land Friday, March 19, 2010 JUNEAU, Alaska -- Both sides of the Pebble Mine debate were at the state Capitol Friday evening to testify on whether or not the state needs a third-party review of its permitting standards and environmental safeguards. The state Board of Fisheries asked the Legislature to look into the matter and take any steps it deems necessary to protect fish and game in the region. Specifically, the Legislature wants to know the biggest risks of the mine, and how they compare to other mines throughout the U.S. and Canada.

State lawmakers say they need a few weeks to decide how best to study the proposed Pebble Mine near Bristol Bay. They want to make sure they hire researchers who will provide an honest report with useful information. The Legislature has budgeted $750,000 for the Pebble study. The appropriation is rather broad, and the money could be used to study anything from the project’s economics to its environment effects. The Legislature does not often carry out studies of this size -- then again, there aren’t many projects out there quite like Pebble.

by The Associated Press Tuesday, April 13, 2010 ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- The nation's second-largest jewelry retailer has joined the fight against a gold and copper mine being developed in southwest Alaska. Zale Corp. announced Tuesday it will boycott precious metals from the Pebble Mine. The company says it also supports permanently protecting the area from large-scale metals mining. Canada's Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd. and London-based Anglo American are developing the mine near Bristol Bay and the world's remaining wild sockeye salmon streams.

by Channel 2 News staff Friday, April 23, 2010 ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Exploratory drilling at the Pebble Mine site can resume after the Alaska Department of Natural Resources reinstated land use permits for the Pebble Limited Partnership on Friday. DNR suspended the permits in January when the Pebble Limited Partnership self-reported it had taken water from 45 unpermitted locations during a three-year period. At the time of suspension the state also fined Pebble $45,000, which has been paid according to a press release from DNR. In order to have the suspension lifted, Pebble had to develop a water withdrawal plan subject to approval by the state.

The Environmental Protection Agency says it is revising its assessment of large-scale mining activities near Bristol Bay -- including the proposed Pebble Mine -- in response to comments from peer reviewers as well as the general public. In a Tuesday statement, the EPA says it received more than 230,000 public comments on its draft assessment of how major mining may affect the Kvichak and Nushagak river systems' water quality and salmon ecosystems. “EPA is using the comments and suggestions from the public and the 12 peer reviewers to revise the assessment,” agency officials wrote.

Can mining and salmon co-exist?   That debate is being heard in Anchorage this week over the proposed Pebble Mine project.  The Pebble Limited Partnership is holding another round of scientific review panels overseen by The Keystone Center.  The non-profit has recruited scientists from all over the United States, who are volunteering their expertise to scrutinize Pebble's research.  “Most resource companies would not subject themselves to...

On Monday - the eve of a major scientific forum on the proposed Pebble Mine, it was revealed that "The Keystone Conference" -- a consultant hired by Pebble -- has lost the services of 2 scientists who were scheduled to be part of that panel.  According to the Associated Press, one of those scientists -- Dr. David Montgomery of the University of Washington -- quit because he was concerned that Pebble had not yet released a detailed blueprint of...

Tonight (Sunday), on the eve of a major public forum concerning the Pebble Mine, Pebble opponents are saying they're deeply concerned over apparent discrepancies in Pebble's $120 million dollar environmental study on its own proposed project. That project -- if approved -- could become one of the largest open pit mines in North America. Documents on hand with the S-E-C indicate the pit could be one mile deep and 3 miles wide. The Pebble Limited Partnership would mine gold, molylbdenum and copper.  Today former Alaska Senator Rick Halford showed Channel 2 News a written statement from Dr. Carol Ann Woody, a fish biologist who's been working with "The Nature Conservancy".

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's efforts to assess the environmental impacts of the Pebble Mine are now causing repercussions on Capitol Hill. The Anchorage Daily News reported this week that some congressional republicans are challenging the E.P.A's authority to rule on Pebble Mine. Some Congressman feel that Pebble is an Alaska issue, not a federal one. But this week, the E.P.A. said that critics who challenge its authority on this issue are wrong. The Agency says that under the Federal Clean Water Act of 1972, it has the responsibility to protect the nation's waterways.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today (Wednesday) wrapped-up the public portion of its scientific "Peer Review" of the proposed Pebble Mine. Twelve scientists will spend the next few months -- in closed-door sessions -- gathering information that will eventually allow the agency to determine whether Pebble can be operated in compliance with the "Clean Water Act of 1972. " The Bristol Bay Fishermen -- and Alaska Natives --  who brought the E.P.A. Into the decision process allege that Alaska State authorities have never blocked a major mine project in the history of the state.

The award-winning PBS Television series, "Frontline" examined Pebble Mine in a documentary that aired Tuesday night and the subject manner continues to generate mixed reactions. And one day after the program was broadcast, supporters of the mine seemed displeased with the documentary, while mine opponents largely liked it. The hour-long show was a comprehensive look at Pebble, and it comes just two weeks before the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is due to return to Anchorage for a scientific discussion of water-quality issues related to the proposed mine.

Hundreds of people showed up to an EPA meeting Monday night about the impact of mining on Bristol Bay salmon. Along with the arguments both for and against the proposed Pebble Mine project were several complaints to the EPA and the federal government for how it's handling its investigation of how mining might impact the salmon, centered around a report released last month. Some argued that people needed more time to understand all the information in the huge report.  Others were upset that the first meeting about the Alaska issue took place in Seattle.

Officials with the Enviornmental Protection Agency took public comment Thursday in Seattle concerning the potential environmental impacts of a possible mining project on the watershed of Bristol Bay. The main topic of discussion was the Pebble Mine project. Nearly a thousand Washington State fishermen are licensed to work in Bristol Bay, and several voiced opposition to the mine. Another hearing is scheduled to be held Monday in Anchorage. It's the first in a series of Alaska public forums at which concerns about Pebble and the Bristol Bay watershed will be discussed.

One day after the votes were tallied for an initiative aimed at blocking the proposed Pebble Mine in Southwest Alaska, both sides are saying they are pleased with the outcome.   The "Save our Salmon" initiative passed by a 34 vote margin, 280 to 246, according to Lake and Peninsula Borough unofficial election results.           "I think its a real victory for the people of the affected region of Bristol bay," Art Hackney a spokesperson for Alaskans for Bristol Bay, an anti-pebble organization, said.