EPA Starts Process That Could Restrict Pebble Mine

Some huge news coming out of DC.

While not quite yet an official death blow this is pretty darn close.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is taking the first steps toward possibly restricting or even prohibiting development of the Pebble Mine. While the announcement does not represent a final decision, it will delay it for months and make it much harder for the project to move forward at all.

How long before Rio Tinto throws in the towel?

LINK (via: ABC News)

When the right wing talking heads explode remember it was Richard Nixon who established the EPA, thanks Dick.

Rio Tinto Employee Resigns from the Northern Dynasty Board

It’s unclear if Stephen Scott's resignation from the Northern Dynasty Minerals Board of Directors is a precursor to Rio Tinto divesting itself of their 19-percent interest in Northern Dynasty.

Rio Tinto currently holds a 19-percent interest in Northern Dynasty and has come under pressure to divest itself of its interest due to the controversial nature of the proposed Pebble Mine.

LINK (via:KDLG)

Rio Tinto, the largest iron-ore miner in the world, has had a turbulent 12 months.

Anti-Pebble Ads Praising Begich Raise Eyebrows

Political ads touting Senator Begich's statements against Pebble appear to have been last summer or fall, months before his position was public.

Not sure why anyone would try to make a big deal out of this but given the stakes involved I guess everyone is looking to score public relations points wherever possible.

LINK (via:KDLG)

Meanwhile .....

Several members of the Alaska Legislature sent a letter of support earlier this month to the head of the company looking at developing the controversial Pebble Mine in the Bristol Bay region. The letter was signed by 8 lawmakers including the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House.

All of the lawmakers are Republicans.

Jut Do It!

Presidential historian and author Douglas Brinkley urged President Obama to take decisive and swift executive action on preventing the massive Pebble Mine project in Alaska on NOW with Alex Wagner, Monday.

Just do it. If you want to use executive power, be like Teddy Roosevelt and FDR. Don’t talk about, “I have the the power of the pen,” use the power of the pen.  One could laundry list 200-300 things that could be done overnight. You could save Bristol Bay – our great salmon runs up in Alaska by not allowing the Pebble mine to come in. That’s just one example – boom, a paragraph – do it. And if people sue you, or want to go to court, so be it. Teddy Roosevelt saved the Grand Canyon – it bounced around courts for a few years, and he ended up winning it. But you can’t tell people you’re going to use the executive power and then not use it.”

LINK (via:The Mudflats)

With friends like these.....

ERM, the contractor performing the U.S. State Department's environmental review for the northern half of TransCanada's Keystone XL tar sands pipeline — gave the greenlight to Alaska's controversial Pebble Mine proposal in June 2013.

ERM scolded the EPA for not taking a balanced approach on Pebble, not looking into the "positive effects" it would create if it opens for business.

LINK (via: The Huffington Post)

We Can’t Eat Gold in Bristol Bay

Bobby Andrew, a Native Yup'ik spokesman and staunch opponent of the Pebble Mine, discusses the struggle so far, the importance of Indigenous solidarity, and the award winning film We Can't Eat Gold, directed by Joshua Tucker.

LINK (via: IC Magazine)