Your friendly neighborhood mining conglomerate

Four employees of the British-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto, were found guilty Monday of accepting millions of dollars in bribes and stealing commercial secrets. 

LINK (Via: The New York Times)

For those of you keeping score, Rio Tinto is one of the principal partners in the Pebble Mine project.

Pebble Mine Plan (Based on Resource Estimate) Superimposed on Seattle

Sky Truth has revised the size of the footprint of the proposed Pebble mine and superimposed the results over the cities of Seattle and Anchorage.

The gallery contains maps and images showing the latest plan for the Pebble mine, based on permit applications filed by Northern Dynasty Minerals with the State of Alaska in the summer of 2006. To convey a sense of the scale of this proposed mine, they've superimposed the mine plan on the city of Seattle.

The mine plan, however, grossly underrepresents the amount of tailings and waste rock that would be generated if public statements made by NDM of the economically recoverable resource - 10.78 billion tons of ore - are accurate. This recovery scenario would likely involve block-cave underground mining east of the main open pit, and would generate a total of 13.5 billion cubic yards of waste. Based on the terrain and locations of other potential disposal sites evaluated by NDM, we've added two massive tailings impoundments to hold the additional 10.2 billion cubic yards of waste that would be generated. To give you a feel for the sheer size of this potential mining complex, we've superimposed this revised plan on Seattle

LINK  (Via: SkyTruth on Flickr)

One Pebble Can Make A Lot of Waves

Trout Unlimited has launched a new media campaign in Alaska aimed at raising public awareness about the threats to Bristol Bay from the proposed Pebble mine.  LINK  (Via: Headwaters)

If they really want to shut that mine down maybe they should employ the crying indian strategy.

Pebble mine developers to pay fine over water-use violation - Announce delay in permitting

The companies seeking to develop the massive Pebble mine prospect in Southwest Alaska have agreed to pay a $45,000 fine to the state for unauthorized use of water at their drilling sites. 

LINK (Via:The Anchorage Daily News)

During a recent public debate in Dillingham about the proposed mine, Pebble Partnership CEO John Shively announnced they would not be applying for permitting in 2010. Prior statements by mine management indicated that they would apply for permitting late in 2010.  Shively also stated that he is, "not convinced that they have a project that environmentally works."

Alaska Public Radio has a report on the debate. LINK

Pebble Pedalers Update

Remember Seth and Parker Berling? They're the two brothers who are riding their bikes 17,000 miles from Prudhoe Bay to Tierra Del Fuego to bring attention to Bristol Bay and the Pebble Mine.

Their last blog update puts them in Puerto Vallarta. LINK

Fisheries board: Bay protection warranted

The Alaska Board of Fisheries decided Saturday to send a letter to state legislators asking them to consider more regulatory protection for salmon in the Bristol Bay river drainages downstream of the proposed Pebble mine.

The board could have advocated for a state fish refuge in the Nushagak and Kvicahk river drainages that would have subjected the Pebble Mine project to additional environmental oversight.

LINK (Via: The Anchorage Daily News)