Pebble Mine

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Exploration drill rig at the prospective site of the Pebble Mine

Pebble Mine is a controversial proposal to create a large copper, gold, and molybdenum mine in the Bristol Bay region of Southwest Alaska, near Lake Iliamna and Lake Clark.

1 Proposal
2 Location
3 Controversy
4 Arguments against the proposal
5 Arguments for the proposal
6 Potential legislative actions that could affect the proposal
7 Gallery
8 External links
- 8.1 Anti-Pebble Mine
- 8.2 Pro-Pebble Mine
9 References

[edit] Proposal

The company holding and exploring the mine claim is Northern Dynasty Minerals/Northern Dynasty Mines, based in Vancouver, Canada, COO Bruce Jenkins. The ore is a contained in a porphyry deposit, and is estimated by Northern Dynasty to contain over $100 billion worth of minerals at 2006 prices^[1].

Their current plan includes a large open pit mine at Pebble West, and an adjacent and possibly larger underground mine at Pebble East. The mine pit would be up to two miles wide and several thousand feet deep. Two tailings storage "lakes" would be created in the headwaters of the Koktuli River drainage, and the largest of the dams enclosing these lakes would 740 feet tall and 4.3 miles long. A road roughly 95 miles long would be built along the north side of Lake Iliamna to a port on Iniskin Bay on Cook Inlet. Power to operate the mine would come from a submarine cable stretching across Cook Inlet^[2].

[edit] Location

The Pebble Prospect is located near the villages of Nondalton and Iliamna. It sits at the headwaters of Upper Talarik Creek and the Koktuli River. Northern Dynasty has applied for water rights permits to both streams for use in mining operations^[2]. Upper Talarik Creek flows into Lake Iliamna, and then into Bristol Bay through the Kvichak River. The Koktuli River flows into the Mulchatna River, which joins the Nushagak River, and then flows into Bristol Bay.

The claim is located on Alaska state land. Pebble is at the center of a block of mining claims several hundred square miles in area, but it is the only one currently at an advanced stage of exploration^[3].

Bristol Bay is home to some of the largest runs of salmon in the world (in the tens of millions), and the world's largest sockeye salmon fishery^[4]. It's also a popular sport fishing area, with lodges catering to fishermen fishing for salmon and trophy-size trout. Subsistence fishing is important to the region's native communities.

[edit] Controversy

The controversy over the Pebble Mine centers largely on its potential impact on these fish and fisheries. In general, mining opponents claim that the mine poses a significant and unacceptable risk to downstream fish stocks, while mining proponents claim that the mine can be developed without significantly harming the fish.

Opposition to the proposal is being led by a coalition of local native groups (such as the Bristol Bay Native Association^[5] and Nunumta Aulukestai^[6], commercial and sport fishing organizations (such as the Alaska Independent Fishermen's Marketing Association^[7] and the Alaska Wilderness Recreation and Tourism Association^[8]), and environmental groups (such as American Rivers^[9], Trout Unlimited^[10], and the Renewable Resources Coalition^[11]). Senator Ted Stevens, a strong proponent of other resource extraction projects, has expressed his opposition to the Pebble proposal^[12].

Though relatively unknown outside Alaska (aside from sport and commercial fishing circles), the Pebble Mine project is a hot issue in the state, with articles or letters to the editor in the Anchorage Daily News almost daily. Opinion is divided. According to a poll commissioned by the Renewable Resources Coalition, 53% of Alaskans oppose the project, with 28% in favor, and 19% undecided^[13]. According to a competing poll comissioned by Northern Dynasty Mines, 31% oppose the project, 45% support it, and 24% are undecided^[14]. According to the only poll targeting them, Bristol Bay residents are strongly opposed to the mine, with 71% opposed, 20% in favor, and 9% undecided^[15].

[edit] Arguments against the proposal

Cyanide, heavy metals, and acid mine drainage are common water pollutants for mines, and are very dangerous to fish and other wildlife.
Mining has a poor environmental track record.
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, mining has contaminated the headwaters of over 40% of watersheds in the western continental U.S., and reclamation of abandoned mines could cost tens of billions of dollars^[16].
Despite extensive environmental review and environmental impact statements that predicted otherwise, the majority of mines fail to meet water quality standards^[17]
The mine will not benefit the state. Due to the tax structure, oil and gas drilling returns over 20% of resource value to the state and municipalities, fishing returns over 5%, and mining returns less than 2%^[18].
With a commercial salmon fishery averaging $300 million per year, the renewable resources of the Bristol Bay area are already providing jobs and revenue to Alaskans^[19]. Fishing in Bristol Bay has gone on for thousands of years and can continue for thousands more.
Clean rivers and healthy salmon runs should not be sacrificed for short term mining jobs.

[edit] Arguments for the proposal

In order to be approved, the mine will have to go through a thorough environmental review, and it will not be approved if it will harm the fisheries.
Northern Dynasty has a "no net loss" policy for fisheries^[20].
Since Northern Dynasty has not applied for all its permits yet, there is nothing to oppose.
The mine will create jobs — roughly 2000 for construction, dropping to 1000 permanent jobs during the 30 to 60 year expected life span of the mine.[1]

[edit] Potential legislative actions that could affect the proposal

Fish refuge

A proposal to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game to create a fish refuge in the Koktuli and Talarik watersheds has been strongly supported by mine opponents and strongly opposed by Northern Dynasty. The Board of Fisheries voted to create a panel to study the proposal (which could decide to recommend a refuge to the legislature), and both sides claimed this as a victory^[21].

Mining tax reform

Alaska Representative Paul Seaton plans to introduce a bill this year that will change the tax structure for mining, increasing the taxes. Pebble opponents have also discussed a voter initiative to do the same thing^[22].