Pebble Mine in the news

To help keep readers up-to-date on developments related to the proposed Pebble Mine, Pebble Watch has begun to offer a regular round-up of news articles. Following are stories that have recently appeared in local and national publications.

“Coalition brings fight for Bristol Bay fish to Washington” (March 31, 2011 – Fairbanks Daily News Miner) – A coalition trying to stop development of a huge copper and gold mine in Alaska brought its fight to the nation’s capital this week in an effort to protect the world’s largest wild sockeye salmon fishery. Read the full story in the Fairbanks Daily News Miner.

“Chefs fight for salmon in Washington D.C.” (March 31, 2011 – mynorthwest.com, website of Seattle radio stations – News Talk 97.3 KIRO FM, 710 ESPN Seattle and AM 770): The Truth) – A group of more than 200 chefs, retailers and food community leaders signed and sent a letter to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson this week, urging the government to stop a proposed mine near the headwaters of Alaska’s Bristol Bay. Read the full story at mynorthwest.com.

“Alaska lawmaker not giving up on Pebble Mine study” (March 29, 2011 – Business Week) – House Majority Leader Alan Austerman says he’s not giving up on a state-funded effort to study the effects of the proposed Pebble Mine on the Bristol Bay region. Read the full story in Business Week.

“Lobbying the Legislature is big-money business in Juneau”(March 27, 2011 – Anchorage Daily News) – The Pebble Partnership, developers of the huge Pebble Mine prospect in Southwest Alaska, spent more on Alaska lobbyist salaries than anyone else last year. The group laid down $378,000 to employ four of the professional lobbyists at the Capitol. Read the full story in the Anchorage Daily News.

“Bristol Bay stakeholders, legislators speak on the Pebble Mine topic” (March 20, 2011 – Juneau Empire) – Residents, business representatives, subsistence users, commercial and sport fishermen plus others from Bristol Bay spent this week meeting with various legislators to ask for backup in supporting a 404(c) assessment by the Environmental Protection Agency, which is an assessment that would allow the agency to determine if mining could be permitted in the area or not. Read the full story in the Juneau Empire.

“Battle Over Alaska Mining Project Heads to Washington” (March 18, 2011 – Greenwire environmental news service, in the New York Times) – A large mining project proposed for southwest Alaska has sparked a lobbying battle between some area residents who say it would help the region’s economy and others who fear environmental degradation to nearby Bristol Bay and its major salmon run. Read the full story in the New York Times.

“Murkowski presses EPA administrator on Pebble Mine, oil and gas exploration” (March 17, 2011 – Juneau Empire) – U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, has questioned Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson on a series of development projects in Alaska, including efforts concerning the proposed Pebble Mine and oil and gas exploration in the Beaufort Sea and the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. Read the full story in the Juneau Empire.