Pebble Mine in the News: June 13

To help keep readers up-to-date, Pebble Watch offers regular roundups of news articles related to the proposed Pebble Mine. Following are stories that have recently appeared in local and national publications.

“Pebble again on the ballot – for now – in Lake & Pen Borough” (June 10, 2011 – Alaska Journal of Commerce)
Another ballot battle over Pebble mine is brewing. The “Save Our Salmon” initiative was certified May 30 to be placed on the Lake and Peninsula Borough ballot this October after initiative backers turned in a petition claiming more than 300 signatures, well above the required amount and comparable to the 384 total votes counted in the October 2010 borough elections. Read the entire article at the Alaska Journal of Commerce.

“EPA hears out Bristol Bay residents on mining prospect” (June 8, 2011 – The Bristol Bay Times)
Federal officials weighing potential restrictions on large-scale mining ventures in the Bristol Bay got an earful this past week in Dillingham from commercial, subsistence and sport fishermen concerned about adverse environmental effects of mining. Read the entire article at The Bristol Bay Times.

“British Ambassador visits Sitka” (June 7, 2011 – KCAW FM 90.1, Sitka)
During his Tuesday visit, Sir Nigel Sheinwald attended a Rotary Club lunch and toured popular attractions, including Castle Hill and Sitka National Historical Park. But the bulk of Sheinwald’s Alaska trip on the United Kingdom’s connections to Alaska: political and commercial. That includes the proposed Pebble Mine in Southwest Alaska. Read the article at KCAW.org or listen to the entire interview.

“That’s not for us, say Alaskans after seeing Bingham mine” (June 6, 2011 – Salt Lake Tribune)
Several Alaskans from the salmon-dependent Bristol Bay region toured Utah’s Bingham Canyon Mine on Monday for a look at the kind of tourist attraction they hope never to see back home. Read the entire article at the Salt Lake Tribune. Read the entire article at the Salt Lake Tribune.

“EPA officials visit Dillingham for Watershed Assessment meeting” (June 5, 2011 – KDLG AM/FM public radio, Dillingham)
Senior EPA officials were in Dillingham last Friday to give an update on the Bristol Bay Watershed Assessment. The public meeting is an early stage in the agency’s assessment of the watershed and the potential impact of large-scale development on water quality and regional fisheries. Commercial, subsistence and sport fishermen, as well as year-round Nushagak river residents, made two hours worth of public statements on the possible impacts of the proposed Pebble Mine project that would be situated close to the river’s headwaters. Listen to or download the entire audio clip at KDLG online. (5:33 minutes)