The Blog

At meeting with EPA Chief, Lisa Jackson, residents united in opposition to Pebble

bgestring — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 17:15:20 +0000

One by one, representatives of a dozen Southwest Alaska communities stood to tell the head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency of the threat they feel the massive Pebble mine prospect would pose to their way of life. In an excerpt from an article in the Codova Times,

“If you take away who we are, our natural resources, that would be terminating us as a people,” Mary Ann Johnson from the tribal council of Portage Creek told EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson Wednesday, during a listening session at Dillingham High School.

EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson will be in Bristol Bay this week to hear about Pebble.

bgestring — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 18:30:01 +0000

EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson is traveling to Bristol Bay this week for a listening session on the Pebble Mine.

“I’m very glad they are coming out here,” said Robin Samuelsen, a Bristol Bay fisherman and president and chief executive officer of the Bristol Bay Economic Development Corp. “It’s about time that they conduct hearings in the Bristol Bay region. “The last poll I saw done showed that 82 percent were opposed to the mine,” he said, in recent news article.

Top scientist Rebuts Pebble On Misleading Statements

bgestring — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 16:16:59 +0000

Top scientist, Jack Stanford, rebuts misleading statements made by the Pebble Limited Partnership (Anglo American and Northern Dynasty) about the impacts of the proposed Pebble Mine on the Bristol Bay salmon fishery. Here’s a quick excerpt of the lead in to the article, but read the whole thing in the Anchorage Daily News.

“They stated in public forums that Pebble is not located in the headwaters of Bristol Bay and that it would only affect about two streams out of some 42 similarly-sized streams in the project area, thus creating the false impression that this enormous copper and gold mine would cause minimal harm to the habitat of Bristol Bay’s great salmon fishery. Nothing could be farther from the truth.”

Legislative group to meet to decide on independent science review

bgestring — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 22:33:38 +0000

Members of the AK State Legislative Council will meet on July 19th to decide how to proceed with the independent science review of the Pebble Mine. Read more in the Bristol Bay Times

Win in Court for Opponents of Pebble Mine

bgestring — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 16:22:44 +0000

It’s a win in court for Nunamta Auluekstai and other opponents to the proposed Pebble Mine. According to the AP article, a Superior Court judge has cleared the way for a legal fight over state-issued permits for the Pebble Mine.

The fight is being waged by eight Bristol Bay village corporations,
former firs…t lady Bella Hammond, former state constitutional delegate
Victor Fisher and two Bristol Bay residents. The lawsuit says that the state issued the land and water use permits without looking at the potential harm to resources.

Judge Eric A. Aarseth said in his decision Monday that there was
enough evidence to allow the constitutional issues concerning the
permits to be heard at a Dec. 6 trial.

“The state has issued permits behind closed doors without even
looking at the harms to public resources,” said plaintiffs’ lawyer Nancy
Wainwright.

http://www.canadianbusiness.com/markets/market_news/article.jsp?content=D9GUQUKO0

Northern Dynasty obtains more claims around Pebble.

bgestring — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 19:26:37 +0000

Heads up. Northern Dynasty has just announced that it is investing $4 million to pick up an additional 23 square miles of mining claims northwest of the current Pebble claims. Here’s the story in the Anchorage Daily News.

Fisheries Biologists Article on Impacts to Fish from Mines, and the Threat From Pebble Mine

bgestring — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 22:30:43 +0000

Don’t miss this article in FISHERIES, the American Fisheries Society publication, that describes impacts to water quality and fish from hardrock mines across the western U.S., the need for mining law reform, and the threat from Pebble Mine to Bristol Bay salmon fishery.

Northwest Restaurants and Markets Help Protect Bristol Bay Salmon from Mine Threat

bgestring — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 15:39:57 +0000

Nearly 40 restaurants and markets in Washington and Oregon will feature Bristol Bay sockeye salmon from July 4 to 10 and encourage consumers to “Vote with Their Forks” for this sustainable, carefully managed Alaska fishery that faces threats from proposed large-scale mining. If you’re in the area, go eat some salmon! …

Anglo American CEO on BP Board and Environmental Committee!

bgestring — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 04:32:03 +0000

It turns out that Cynthia Carroll, the CEO of Anglo American is on BP’s Board. According to a recent article, she received $90,000 pounds last year for her role on the chairman’s safety, ethics and environmental assurance committee! Yes, the environmental assurance committee! The article speculates that “Her quietness on the BP issue could reflect some embarrassment, particularly as she regularly repeats her commitment to safety on Anglo’s mines.”

John Shively says what?

bgestring — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 21:44:54 +0000

In a recent news article, John Shively of Pebble Partnership says there are no streams in the proposed mine area. Say what?

Read this article in the Bristol Bay Times where John Shively of the Pebble Partnership is quoted as saying there are no streams in the proposed Pebble mine area.

“We’re not in the business of destroying streams; where the project is there are no streams at all,” he said.

A report by fisheries biologist Dr. Carol Ann Woody shows streams directly on top of the ore body. See page 10 of the report for the map.