Pebble developer refutes claims mine will destroy habitat

Study commissioned by the Renewable Resources Commission and Trout Unlimited says fish habitat at severe risk

October 15, 2006
Alaska Journal of Commerce (AK)
By TIM BRADNER

Two groups opposed to the large Pebble copper project on the Alaska Peninsula southwest of Anchorage have released a new study it commissioned on the project's potential harmful effects on fish habitat and other resources in the area.

The Renewable Resources Coalition, an Alaska group, and Trout Unlimited, a national environmental organization, commissioned Coble Geophysical Services of Anchorage to produce a 4 1/2 page analysis of environmental impacts of a mine developed at Pebble.

The report, by Anchorage hydrologist Geoff Coble, claims the mine will destroy and damage sockeye and coho salmon habitat and that large earthen dams built by Northern Dynasty Mines, the project developer, would store tailings and contaminated water, posing a potential risk through leakage from the dams.

The report was based on the contractor's review of a water rights application filed by Northern Dynasty with the state Department of Natural Resources.

Northern Dynasty has "no long-range plan for cleanup and no understanding of how that water could spread to surface and groundwater resources of the area," the Renewable Resources Coalition said in an Oct. 6 press release.

Bruce Jenkins, chief operating officer of Northern Dynasty, said the coalition's conclusions are premature. The information provided to Department of Natural Resources to support the company's water rights application was very preliminary and does not describe the actual design of the mine nor its impacts, which can be assessed only after Northern Dynasty completes its design for the project, now expected in 2008.

Northern Dynasty's water rights applications "are intended to broadly describe the Pebble project's footprint and potential mine facilities, as well as the areas in which ground and surface water may be required to build and operate the mine," Jenkins said.

The applications address certain requests for information from the DNR and are not intended to describe the project's actual impacts, Jenkins said. Northern Dynasty is still developing its plan for Pebble, which would be the basis for applications for state and federal permits.

Richard Jameson, president of the Renewable Resource Coalition, and his organization and Trout Unlimited, commissioned the study "to help Alaskans and others who are following the Pebble Mine make sense of a 600-page technical document," submitted by the company to the state Department of Natural Resources.

"We asked Coble for a very independent, professional assessment of the application without any regard to where we stand on the Pebble Mine development issue," he said.

Jenkins, however, said Coble Geophysical did not review all of the information submitted to DNR by Northern Dynasty.

"In its rush to judgment, the Renewable Resources Coalition did not see fit to look at information contained in our more recent submission (to DNR)," Jenkins said.

Coble acknowledged that in his report, indicating that his comments were preliminary and that documents submitted to the DNR by Northern Dynasty on Sept. 21 were not reviewed prior to the report.

If developed, Pebble would be one of the largest copper and gold mines in the world, and would be a major employer in the Bristol Bay region and Southcentral Alaska.

Northern Dynasty is looking at mining a shallow, low-grate ore deposit by open-pit mining and mining a deeper-richer ore deposit that is nearby with an underground mine. The company is now completing an exploration drilling program of the deeper ore deposit and will have results of that by the end of the year.

With those results, Northern Dynasty will be able to determine the most efficient way of developing a mine at Pebble, Jenkins said.

Opposition groups are concerned that development of the mine will change the character of the wild, pristine region, and that contamination of salmon-bearing streams by the mine could damage the region's rich sports and commercial fisheries. Communities in the region are split over the proposal, with some opposing the mine and others willing to wait until Northern Dynasty develops its mine proposal before passing judgment.

The Renewable Resources Coalition, which opposes the mine, is comprised of sports fishing lodge owners and some local community groups opposed to the mine, and is backed by conservation groups and Alaska businessmen with interest in the region.

Date: 10/15/2006