News roundup: May 5, 2015
Federal Judge weighs postponing Pebble mine hearing (Alaska Dispatch News, May 5, 2015)
Federal Judge H. Russel Holland, who is presiding over ongoing litigation brought by the Pebble Limited Partnership (PLP) against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is considering delaying further action on one of the lawsuits against the EPA, pending the outcome of an internal EPA investigation. Judge Holland learned about the internal investigation, which has been ongoing since May 2014, when he read a Pebble mine-related story in the Alaska Dispatch News over the weekend.
Pebble mine backers aren’t ready to give up the gold (Alaska Dispatch News, May 3, 2015)
Erica Martinson provides an overview of the “battle over Pebble mine,” addressing upcoming litigation, EPA’s internal investigation into whether the Watershed Assessment process was conducted properly, and a separate, third-party investigation initiated by PLP.
EPA moves to sink Alaska Pebble mine FOIA suit (Law360 online, April 20, 2015)
The EPA has asked a federal judge to throw out one of the lawsuits PLP brought against the agency regarding a January 2014 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. PLP contends that the EPA has withheld some documents related to the 404(c) process it launched last year in order to seek protections for the Bristol Bay watershed in the area of the Pebble deposit. The EPA contends that it has properly processed the request.
Pebble selling off surplus equipment (KDLG radio, April 17, 2015)
KDLG radio in Dillingham reports on a flyer posted in town that advertises the sale of various pieces of equipment PLP had used in previous exploration work. According to a PLP spokesperson, the surplus equipment was sitting idle and depreciating and it made “sense to sell some of it off.”