The mining newspaper for Alaska and Canada's North
The mining newspaper for Alaska and Canada's North
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Alaska Peninsula Corp., which represents five Alaska Native village corporations in the Bristol Bay region of Southwest Alaska, has reached an agreement with the Pebble Limited Partnership to provide transportation corridor access across its lands to support construction and operation of the proposed Pebble mine. Formed as a merger between the South Naknek, Port Heiden, Ugashik, Kokhanok and Newhalen village corporations, Alaska Peninsula Corp. owns the surface rights to...
DENA'INA CENTER, ANCHORAGE: Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2018 likely marks a crucial turning point for Alaska's mining industry. As the state's mining community gathered for the Alaska Miners Association (AMA) annual convention to celebrate one of the best years for the sector in recent memory, Alaska voters were making decisions that would shape the future of the more than 1,000 people gathered at the Dena'ina Center. In terms of the state economy, the most crucial decision put before... Full story
Alaska Gov. Bill Walker has called for a halt to an environmental review process aimed at determining whether a mine at Pebble can be developed in a way that protects the environment of the Bristol Bay region where the world-class copper-gold-molybdenum deposit is found. In a June 29 letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, also signed by Lt. Gov. Byron Mallott, Walker questioned the "readiness of the proposed Pebble project to move forward." The governor cited the lack of...
Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd. April 5 reported that the deadline of the framework agreement for First Quantum Minerals Ltd. to join the Pebble Partnership has been extended from April 6 to April 30. The framework agreement entered into last December provides First Quantum with the option to earn a 50 percent interest in the Pebble Partnership for US$1.5 billion, which includes a US$150 million initial investment, made in four equal payments of US$37.5 million, to fund...
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Alaska District March 28 published a Notice of Intent to prepare a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) for review of the Pebble Limited Partnership's application to discharge fill material into waters of the United States for the purpose of developing a mine at its world-class copper-gold-molybdenum project in the Bristol Bay region of Southwest Alaska A 30-day public scoping and public comment period is set to begin April 1. This s...
Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd. Feb. 5 reported that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has selected AECOM as the third-party contractor that will support them in completing an environmental impact statement for the Pebble project – a significant milestone in the advancement of a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review of the proposed open pit copper-gold-molybdenum mine in Southwest Alaska. AECOM is a global, integrated engineering, environmental, construction and i...
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Jan. 26 decision to not lift its proposed restriction on Pebble does not prevent the world-class copper mine project from being thoroughly vetted under federal permitting process. While EPA has chosen to leave the 2014 pre-permitting restrictions it attempted to impose against Pebble on the table, these limits do not prohibit the permitting process. A federal judge ordered a stay on the implementation of EPA's proposed determination...
The permitting process for the world-class Pebble copper-gold-molybdenum mine in Southwest Alaska is officially underway. With this monumental milestone comes the first real look at the new Pebble Mine plan, an engineering feat that the Pebble Partnership believes strikes a balance between environmental footprint and sound economics. "There is a sweet spot in which you can drive down the footprint size and still reach a rate-of-return that makes sense," Pebble Partnership CEO... Full story
The Pebble Partnership Dec. 22 submitted permit applications for the Pebble Mine project to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, initiating the project review process under the National Environmental Policy Act. With roughly 56.8 billion pounds copper, 70.4 million ounces gold, 3.4 billion lb molybdenum and 343.6 million oz silver in measured and indicated resource, Pebble hosts both the largest undeveloped copper and undeveloped gold resource on Earth. While a deposit of this size...
The Pebble Partnership and ASRC Energy Services, a subsidiary of Arctic Slope Regional Corp., June 13 said they will be working together to provide business development and mentoring services aimed at enhancing future contracting opportunities for Alaska Native village corporations with landholdings near the Pebble copper-gold project in Southwest Alaska. "Local stakeholder involvement in responsible resource development projects is important, and ASRC Energy Services is a leader in stakeholder engagement," said ASRC Energy...
Pebble Limited Partnership and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are on the cusp of reaching a settlement of the longstanding legal dispute over the federal agency's attempt to use Section 404 (c) of the Clean Water Act to place pre-emptive restrictions on permits needed to develop a mine at the Pebble copper-gold-molybdenum project in Southwest Alaska. The federal court where the lawsuit was being heard granted a stay of proceedings until May 4 to provide Pebble and... Full story
As the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency wraps up a public comment period on its proposal to withdraw pending restrictions on Pebble, plans for an “environmentally-optimized” mine at the world-class Pebble copper project in Southwest Alaska are beginning to take shape. Pebble Partnership CEO Tom Collier rolled out this “new path forward” for Pebble at Resource Development Council’s Oct. 5 breakfast forum in Anchorage. In formulating the new Pebble Mine, the Pebble Pa... Full story
After six tumultuous years, 2017 is shaping up to be a turnaround year for the enormous Pebble copper-gold-molybdenum project in Southwest Alaska. "The stars that were previously askew, they seem to be lining up," Northern Dynasty CEO Ron Thiessen told Mining News. This star realignment is reflected in a US$37.4 million financing the Pebble project owner closed on Jan. 26. Underwritten by a trio of renowned financiers, this financing involved the issuance of 20.24 million shar...
With the addition of Mark Hamilton as executive vice president of external affairs, the Pebble Limited Partnership continues to build upon an impressive team of Alaska-based leaders as it prepares to advance the world-class Pebble copper mine project towards permitting. "I'm delighted to join the Pebble team as we begin the long and rigorous journey toward permitting a mine engineered to protect the environment and the world-class fisheries of Bristol Bay," Hamilton said....
In a framework agreement announced on Dec. 18, First Quantum Minerals Ltd. was revealed as the major mining company that will complete the Pebble Limited Partnership. "We have made good progress in the partnering process and are very pleased to be in advanced-stage discussions with First Quantum, an industry leader in mine development and management," Ron Thiessen, president and CEO, Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd., currently the sole owner of the Pebble Partnership. While the...
Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd. March 8 said Pebble Limited Partnership has selected HDR Alaska, Inc. to serve as lead regulatory and permitting consultant for the world-class Pebble copper-gold-molybdenum project in Southwest Alaska. HDR will assist in preparing the documentation Pebble Partnership will need to initiate federal and state permitting by the end of the year, in anticipation of a successful outcome of the company's strategy to address the U.S. Environmental...
Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd. May 20 reported the Pebble Limited Partnership and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have filed a joint motion in federal court to extend a stay of proceedings to May 4 in ongoing litigation under the Federal Advisory Committee Act. In 2014, the Pebble Partnership had filed a suit, alleging EPA violated FACA by working inappropriately close to anti-Pebble groups as the regulatory agency built a case for placing restrictions on yet to be applied for permits for the development of a mine...
Alaska Department of Natural Resources April 11 announced significant new requirements in a land-use permit authorizing the Pebble Limited Partnership to continue care, maintenance and reclamation on its mining claims in the Bristol Bay region. The regulatory agency said this decision follows the review of more than 2,000 public comments and an exhaustive analysis. During the comment period on Pebble's application for the permit, questions arose on the condition of certain drill holes and whether hundreds of these holes...
After five long years of battling inside and outside of the courtroom, Pebble Limited Partnership and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have negotiated an agreement that opens the door for the enormous Pebble copper-gold-molybdenum project in Southwest Alaska to enter the permitting process unencumbered by predetermined restrictions. “This settlement represents a major step forward for the Pebble project,” said Pebble Partnership CEO Tom Collier. “It allows us to start...
Now that the Pebble Partnership has settled its dispute with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the company is focusing its attention on readying the world-class Pebble copper-gold-molybdenum project for permitting. The first move towards attaining this goal was to assemble an advisory committee that will provide valuable insights from a broad range of perspectives, including those that voiced concerns about building a large mine in the Bristol Bay region of Southwest...
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has set in motion plans to completely do away with the pre-permitting restrictions it attempted to impose against Pebble in 2014. If fully implemented, these Obama-era Clean Water Act restrictions would have seriously reduced the size of any mine that could have developed at the world-class Pebble copper-gold-molybdenum deposit in the Bristol Bay region of Southwest Alaska. A federal judge ordered a stay on the implementation of EPA's... Full story
In a framework agreement announced on Dec. 18, First Quantum Minerals Ltd. was revealed as the major mining company that will complete the Pebble Limited Partnership. "We have made good progress in the partnering process and are very pleased to be in advanced-stage discussions with First Quantum, an industry leader in mine development and management," Ron Thiessen, president and CEO, Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd., currently the sole owner of the Pebble Partnership. While the...
The Pebble Partnership Oct. 13 announced the appointments of Stephen Hodgson and James Fueg to its technical team. Serving as senior vice president of engineering and project director, Hodgson will be responsible for all aspects of project design, engineering and financial studies, and regulatory compliance. He will be supported by Fueg, who has been appointed as vice president of permitting. In this role, Fueg will be responsible management of environmental and socioeconomic studies, liaison with federal and state agencies...
After 17 months of investigation, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Inspector General said it could find no evidence that the federal agency was unfair while conducting an assessment of the Bristol Bay Watershed. The conclusion, however, runs counter to those of others who have reviewed the case. The EPA's Bristol Bay Watershed Assessment is a study of the potential risks large-scale mining might pose to the abundant fish resources in the Bristol Bay region... Full story
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Inspector General, Jan. 13 said it could not find any evidence that the EPA was unfair while conducting the Bristol Bay Watershed Assessment, a study of the potential risks large scale mining might pose the abundant fish resources in the Bristol Bay region of Southwest Alaska. "Based on available information, we found no evidence of bias in how the EPA conducted its assessment of the Bristol Bay watershed, or that the EPA...
