The supporters of the Pebble Mine are upset about a line item in the Alaska state budget appropriating 750K for an independent third-party study of the proposed mine.
The Resource Development Council and the Alaska Miners Association have both written letters to Gov. Sean Parnell asking him to exercise his line item veto authority to nix the study, which they say is clearly aimed at the Pebble mine, sets a bad precedent for future development and undermines the existing permit process.
Rep. Alan Austerman, R-Kodiak, said the item was inserted into the capital budget because he feels the unprecedented size and scope of the proposed Pebble mine may be beyond the expertise of state regulators. The measure is also backed by Senate President Gary Stevens, R-Kodiak.
LINK (Via:The Alaska Journal of Commerce)