WAISC conference features Special Session on Pebble mine, Saturday, March 31
The 5th Annual Western Alaskan Interdisciplinary Science Conference and Forum (WAISC) begins tomorrow, with the theme “Resilience in a Changing World.” The conference culminates Saturday, March 31, with an all-day session on “Pebble Site Environmental Baseline Studies.” Conference organizers have published a detailed agenda: the morning/early afternoon sessions feature speakers representing the Pebble Limited Partnership (PLP) and some of the contractors that contibuted to PLP’s recently released Environmental Baseline Studies. The late afternoon includes representatives from The Nature Conservancy, as well as independent scientists.
| 8:00 a.m. -8:10 a.m. | Welcome Debie McLean, BBC UAF |
| 8:10 a.m. – 8:20 a.m. | Introduction: Purpose and rules of session Chair: Todd Radenbaugh, BBESL UAF Co-chairs: Ken Taylor, PLP and Tiel Smith, BBNC |
| 8:20 – 8:40 a.m. | Overview of the Pebble EBD Jane Whitsett, PLP |
| 8:40 – 9:25 a.m. | Surface Water Hydrology Jaime Cathcart, Knight Piesold |
| 9:25 – 10:10 a.m. | Hydrogeology and Water Balance Hugh McCreadie, Piteau Associates |
| 10:10 – 10:20 a.m. | Break |
| 10:30 – 11:15 a.m. | Surface and Groundwater Quality Hugh McCreadie, Piteau Associates |
| 11:15 a.m. – 12 p.m. | Geochemistry Stephen Day, SRK Consulting |
| 12 – 1 p.m. | Lunch |
| 1 – 1:45 p.m. | Fish Resources MaryLou Keefe, R2 Resources |
| 1:45 – 2:30 p.m. | Instream Flow Habitat Modeling Dudley Reiser, R2 Resources |
| 2:30 – 2:45 p.m. | Break |
| 2:45 – 3 p.m. | Overview: TNC and Independent Science Program Tim Troll, TNC |
| 3 – 3:20 p.m. | Surface Water Quality Kendra Zamzow, CSP2 |
| 3:20 – 3:40 p.m. | Fish Density and Distribution Sarah ONeal, FRC |
| 3:40 – 4 p.m. | Fish Resources, Groundwater and Salmon Carol Ann Woody, FRC |
| 4 – 4:20 p.m. | Water Quality at Drill Rig #6 South Molly Welker, BERS |
| 4:20 – 4:40 p.m. | Siesmology, Earthquakes at Pebble? Bretwood Higman, CSP2 |
| 4:40 – 5:30 p.m. | Discussion/Questions |