Tip of the Week!

Montana Mine commercials posted on YouTube:

A legacy for our grandkids.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9BJGAuKgLg

Short term gain. Long term devastation.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dP2ELu47jfA

Take and take and take.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GGr-g-a_DM

Broken land. Broken promises.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idjJvmTHq4M

Quotes of the Week

"I think Jay would first and foremost think of protecting that area, mainly the fish and the game…Before Jay died, he attended a meeting in the Iliamna area and he was quoted as saying he couldn’t think of a worse place for a mine. I’ll always remember that remark.”

-Bella Hammond, widow of Governor Jay Hammond, quoted in the Anchorage Daily News February 15, 2007

“Former House Speaker and mining advocate Gail Phillips called attacks on the Pebble Mine near Bristol Bay ‘so unfair that I think it is un-American and un-Alaskan.’
-Gail Phillips, Spokesperson for Northern Dynasty-funded “Truth” About Pebble, quoted in the Juneau Empire March 26, 2007.

My turn: The truth about Pebble 'truth'
Bristol Bay is what it is - a pristine salmon fishery
By BILLY MAINES
Juneau Empire
March 22, 2007

Why is it that when something happens in my neighborhood, everyone wants to speak up and try to influence what happens?

Case in point, the possible open-pit and underground mine that we have come to know as "Pebble," being touted by Northern Dynasty Mines as the world's second-largest-known deposit of copper, gold, molybdenum and silver. Some folks went as far as starting a new organization called "The Truth about Pebble."

To view article in its entirety, please click on

http://juneauempire.com/stories/032207/opi_20070322002.shtml

Alaska’s new mines hang on the outcome of the battles and brawls of the rich and famous
by Jack Caldwell
I THINK MINING
March 20th, 2007

Both the Pebble Mine and the Kensington Mine in Alaska promise to redefine the way we think about mining and the way mines in the United States are permitted and operated. The questions is, however, do these two mines represent instances of objective democratic debate or are they gladiatorial contests between rich and opinionated men? Will the ultimate outcome at these two mines represent the rule of law dispensed by a blind-folded lady holding scales, or will the outcome be dictated by a public-caesar’s thumb up or down. And will the thumb go the way the battle goes?

To view article in its entirety, please click on

http://miningtechnology.wordpress.com/2007/03/20/alaskas-new-mines-hang-on-the-outcome-of-the-battles-and-brawls-of-the-rich-and-famous/

Is there selective editing?: Pebble releases shed too much heat, not enough light on plan
Stephen Stringham
Voices Of The Peninsula
Peninsula Clarion
March 20, 2007

Media releases about Pebble have shed a lot more heat than light. And what light they’ve shed has been selectively aimed at promoting the benefits of particular interest groups. It’s the old conflict between whose ox gets slaughtered, and who gets to feast on it. Lodge owners, sportfishing guides, commercial ocean fishermen and other people who currently make a good living from the mine’s impact zone don’t want to lose their “way of life.” Other businesses, which expect to make a lot of money off mining, want to expand their way of life. Each side spotlights only facts and arguments that will help it win.

To view article in its entirety, please click on

http://www.peninsulaclarion.com/stories/032007/oped_0320ope002.shtml

TOTR: Pebble Mine With Scott Brennan From R RC And Lindsey Bloom From Trout Unlimited
KMXT Radio
Kodiak, Alaska

In the second half of today's Talk of the Rock, Renewable Resources Coalition's Scott Brennan and Trout Unlimited's Lindsey Bloom talk about opposition to the proposed Pebble Mine.

To listen to broadcast, please click on

http://www.kmxt.org/?q=node/1966

Northern Dynasty President and CEO Ronald Thiessen is featured on "Experts Corner"

http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/index.php?rn=222561&cl=2126939&ch=222671

Bristol Bay drifnetters set to vote for development association leadership
By Margaret Bauman
Alaska Journal of Commerce
March 18, 2007

Twenty-two commercial driftnet fishermen are vying for seven seats on the board of the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association, with election results to be announced in mid-April.

To view article in its entirety, please click on

http://www.alaskajournal.com/stories/031807/hom_20070318024.shtml

U.S. court to overturn controversial mine permit
By Yereth Rosen
Reuters
March 17, 2007

ANCHORAGE, Alaska, March 16 (Reuters) - A controversial permit that would allow an Alaska gold mine to deposit its milled rock waste into a natural alpine lake is illegal and will be struck down, a U.S. appeals court said on Friday.

To view article in its entirety, please click on

http://www.reuters.com/article/bondsNews/idUSN1618385920070317

 

 

Fisheries Board stays out of refuge debate
by Jason Moore
KTUU News
March 14, 2007

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- The Alaska Board of Fisheries opted to stay out of the fight over creating a fish and game refuge around the proposed Pebble Mine.

To view article in its entirety, please click on

http://www.ktuu.com/Global/story.asp?S=6229701

 

Legislature considering bill increasing mining taxes
By HAL SPENCE
Morris News Service — Alaska
Homer News
March 14, 2007

Compared to other industries such as oil and gas or fisheries, mining in Alaska operates in a comparatively tax-free environment. A bill sponsored by Rep. Paul Seaton would alter parts of the state’s mining tax law for the first time since statehood and significantly increase what miners pay.

To view article in its entirety, please click on

http://www.homernews.com/stories/031407/news_24001.shtml

Legislature considering bill increasing mining taxes
By HAL SPENCE
Morris News Service — Alaska
Homer News
March 14, 2007

Compared to other industries such as oil and gas or fisheries, mining in Alaska operates in a comparatively tax-free environment. A bill sponsored by Rep. Paul Seaton would alter parts of the state’s mining tax law for the first time since statehood and significantly increase what miners pay.

To view article in its entirety, please click on

http://www.homernews.com/stories/031407/news_24001.shtml

Polls show Alaskans favor protections for Bristol Bay
Supporters of Pebble Mine project question methods, timing of survey as Legislature debates bills that would affect project
By Hal Spence and Margaret Bauman
Peninsula Clarion/Alaska Journal of Commerce
March 11, 2007

KENAI — Opponents of Northern Dynasty's proposed Pebble Mine say a new opinion poll shows that provisions in Bristol Bay protection bills now before the Alaska Legislature are supported by a vast majority of Alaskans.

To view the article in its entirety, please click on

http://www.alaskajournal.com/stories/031107/foc_20070311006.shtml

Bad projects take on life of their own
By John Enge
Alaska Report
March 9, 2007

There isn't an attempt here to diss the Pebble Mine project in the headwaters of Bristol Bay. Just thought I'd pass on some information for those who live in that neck of the woods. Check out this Southern Oregon mine from hell.

To view article in its entirety, please click on

http://www.alaskareport.com/je20070.htm

Letters to the Editor

Court of Appeals' announcement marks victory for Americans
Bruce Baker
Juneau Empire
March 25, 2007

http://juneauempire.com/stories/032507/let_20070325010.shtml

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals' announcement that dumping mine tailings into Lower Slate Lake is illegal is a victory for all Americans.

In recent months, Juneau Empire readers and radio listeners have been bombarded with ads by Coeur Alaska. The ads have insisted that because regulatory agencies had approved the filling of Lower Slate Lake, it was therefore legal to do so. The ads have been just as relentless in criticizing Southeast Alaska conservationists for having the audacity to challenge an agency approval in court.

In the end, it isn't what Coeur, the Corps of Engineers, other public agencies, conservationists, or members of the general public think is or is not legal that matters most. What counts most is what gets decided in a court of law.

Although Coeur's ads suggest otherwise, it's a matter of public record that the company had earlier received all the government permits it needed to dispose of its tailings on an upland site that would pose less risk to aquatic resources. It was entirely Coeur's decision to abandon that option.

The court's announcement has implications that go well beyond the Kensington Mine. Folks across Alaska and the United States have been watching to see what kind of precedent this case would present for mines elsewhere. Fortunately, the court announcement confirms that the federal Clean Water Act is alive and well and is achieving the purpose for which it was originally passed by Congress.

If Coeur cannot afford to dispose of its mine tailings legally and in a way that minimizes damage to aquatic resources, Alaskans and their fellow Americans cannot afford for the company to do otherwise.

 

**********************

Rio Tinto: Government should step in
Howard Winters, Ft. McMurray AB
The Aurora
March 19, 2007

http://www.theaurora.ca/index.cfm?iid=2388&sid=19926

Dear Editor:

Well it’s that time again when it’s the common worker against the ‘Big Boys’ again. Well boys and gals my thoughts are with you. I don’t have all the details, but from my experiences with Rio Tinto, you are right in what you do.

Rio Tinto has no respect for anyone working with the company…never has and never will as far as I am concerned. Back in 2002 there was 19 supervisors let go from IOC— all local people had homes there and families—but were let go regardless with the statement ‘services no longer required’. That was fine but a few weeks later a crowd of Australians and Canadians from western Canada were flew in to take our places. Let go with no reason, could not get EI (made too much money), Politics again you work 26+ years and can not qualify for EI makes my blood boil when I think of it.

But the situation is still happening and no one says anything about it. Labour relations have been at an all-time low since the Arrival of RIO TINTO! Now some would say if they did not move in, IOC may not be there today. I cannot buy that argument seeing the demand for iron ore in the world market place today. Maybe it is time for the Provincial Government to step in and look for someone else to mine our non-renewable resource and mine it in the best interests for the people of the province.

I read the story about the company looking for another reduction in electricity rates and then turn around and try to take away the subsidized rates for its employees. This shows you the RESPECT the company has for its employees, people who have made this company what it is today.

How soon they forget that their best assets are the people who work there. Well, the rant is over for now, but I will return someday. For now I say, Steelworkers hang in there you will prevail and make Labrador City and great place to live and in doing so You Will Make IOC a great place to work—a place people will want to work, and it will be the great place it once was. Just remember people, we all have to live together and no matter who they are or how big they think they are, we all put our pants on one leg at a time.

**********************

 

IOC: implementing draconian rule of oppression
Dayeton Larson, Labrador City, NL
The Aurora
March 19, 2007

http://www.theaurora.ca/index.cfm?iid=2388&sid=19927

Dear Editor:

Never in the history of IOC has a iron ore company made the profits that they were making until now. Markets have never been better, future outlooks have never been better and record-breaking production have never been higher.

And, it seems also to be a time where moral has never been lower.

Management’s decision making, concerning the operation of the company, seems to have never been worse. I stand to be corrected on that point, there may have been greater lapses of intelligent decision making in the past that I’m not aware of.

Does RioTinto really know what is going on up here? Do the shareholders really know what is happening here I wonder?

Have we really taken the time and effort to seriously try and get a hold of the top management people of RioTinto and their shareholders to inform them of the way this place is being raped of its resources, dignity, and way of life? I can’t believe the ones who are really in control, and are running Rio Tinto, are of the same mindset of those who are trying to implement the draconian rule of oppression here.

I’ve been living here since June 1961 (46 years), worked in Wabush Mines in 1972 for five years and I have never seen the audacity of management as I see to day! They go about ignoring you; your suggestions for improvements, your frustrations with not being listened to, then when things finally boil over – turn their innocent “baby-blues” at you and ask as if it were the first time they have ever seen you. Is there a problem?

What planet is this crowd living on? It just doesn’t make sense.

Time permitting and in future letters, we need to be informed of the actual timeline of the events that lead to this totally stupid situation this company forced us into.

We need to know of the attitudes that initiated the responses and the “whys” to explain our contract demands, and the offences that are prevalent. This needs to be made public so that this community can understand exactly where we are coming from. Afterall we, unlike management, live here and have roots here.

**********************

Despite what happy ads present, coal is dirty and always will be
Mako Haggerty
Anchorage Daily News
March 19, 2007

http://www.adn.com/opinion/letters/story/8721490p-8623556c.html

Coal is dirty. Regardless of all the happy ads on TV promoting coal with blue skies and frogs and clean-faced children. Coal is dirty.

Coal blackens the sky. Coal pollutes the streams. Coal puts mercury in the environment, which gets in the fish we eat and the air we breathe.

At a time when the rest of the world is talking about dramatic climate change and reducing emissions that cause them, we are busy preparing to develop the Chuitna coal mine in Cook Inlet just so a couple wealthy investors can make a buck while we get the mercury and fish habitat destruction. Alaska doesn't have to be behind the times. Indeed, Alaska is in a perfect position to be innovators and leaders. Let's clean up our act.

Coal is dirty; it always has been and always will be.

 

**********************

Economic benefit of Pebble mine would dwarf entire fishing industry
Martin L. Meigs, fisherman
Anchorage Daily News
March 17, 2007

http://www.adn.com/opinion/letters/story/8715370p-8617372c.html

The Feb. 23 issue of the Daily News mentioned that seafood contributed $2 billion, or about 50 percent, of the annual state exports ("Minerals fueled '06 export surge"). The Feb. 21 issue mentioned that Pebble's estimated reserves are worth a hundred times that amount. Two hundred billion dollars' worth of minerals extracted over 20 years would amount to five times the annual value of the statewide fishing industry.

It's also very likely those reserves could be much larger.

The area "threatened" produces only a fraction of the seafood exports from the state. If totally destroyed, the loss would be insignificant compared to the value of this mine to the people of Alaska.

Of course, the fishery won't be lost or even significantly hurt because the government now has the regulatory and oversight systems to prevent such an event. Recent mining history clearly demonstrates mining can be done in an environmentally sound manner.

In short, this single mine dwarfs the entire fishing industry in its potential to benefit the citizens of Alaska.

There are selfish interests fighting this incredible boon to the people of Alaska with misleading fear tactics. This opposition is more than just irrational and irresponsible, it's immoral.

We ought to be pushing for the mine harder than for the gas line.

**********************

Bill would benefit vulnerable area and preserve Hammond's legacy
Norman N. Anderson, Dillingham
Anchorage Daily News
March 17, 2007

http://www.adn.com/opinion/letters/story/8715370p-8617372c.html

In my eyes, I see House Bill 134 as added protection to our fragile ecosystem in the Iliamna Lake area. Naysayers against the bill are in no position to remark as they have. Yes, they are in a position to speak as citizens and as residents, but I see their views as being far from reality. The proposed Pebble mine will eventually harm our renewable resources, mainly salmon.

In reading the article "Salmon take center stage in testimony," printed March 1, I saw village and local government employees speaking against this bill, none of whom ever will or have ever attempted to take on such a project that Northern Dynasty is promoting.

Lastly, I'd like to applaud Rep. Bryce Edgmon for introducing this bill. I knew Gov. Jay Hammond and know in his humble way he would not have wanted this area to be associated with his name, yet the family saw fit to allow it. Let's keep his memory honorable.

**********************

Kensington Mine debate is personal
Bubba Cook
Juneau Empire
March 16, 2007

http://juneauempire.com/stories/031607/let_20070316019.shtml

This letter is in response to Wednesday's Coeur Alaska ad featuring surface foreman Jerry Harmon.

Coeur is absolutely right. The Kensington Mine is personal. As one of 660,000 people of Alaska, I can tell you that Coeur's attempts to move forward on the mine are very personal to me. I'm an Alaskan who fishes, hunts and lives in a community I love because the Clean Water Act prevents industry from irresponsibly despoiling waterways and estuaries that support my lifestyle.

Coeur's insistence on moving forward with plans to dump mine waste into clean water directly attacks my lifestyle. Multiply that effect by 300 million Americans to get some idea of the magnitude of this threat.

You see, it's not about a small lake filled with stunted Dolly Varden, but a precedent allowing industries across the nation to dump various waste into our rivers, lakes and marshes. Undoubtedly, Kensington is a "model" project - a model for cutting corners to increase corporate profits when even some environmental groups supported dry-tailings storage.

Coeur, it's time to wake up and see what you're doing to me and thousands of outdoorsmen just like me, not to mention the rest of America. The appeals court will almost certainly overturn the district court based on the plain reading of the Clean Water Act, and all the permits in the world from agencies captured by industry influence will not make the project right. Coeur's attempts to continue with this project are directly affecting me and millions just like me.

Now that's personal.

**********************

http://www.adn.com/opinion/letters/story/8704763p-8606608c.html

Mineweb's piece dated Feb. 27 showcases Northern Dynasty's attitude on the company's Pebble project (mineweb.net/american_notes). Northern Dynasty chairman Robert Dickinson's prediction that opponents will not stop progress is disturbing.

Dickinson cites a large worldwide demand for certain minerals such as copper and the fact that there are no new major U.S. copper mines to his prediction. It also contributes to Northern Dynasty's "march on" attitude through the permitting process.

Rep. Bryce Edgmon, D-Dillingham, introduced legislation to protect the salmon and salmon habitat and Senate majority leader Gary Stevens, R-Kodiak, introduced a bill to create the Jay Hammond State Game Refuge. Although those are excellent ideas, Northern Dynasty's attitude is unsettling.

Perhaps with dreams of $200 billion in their pockets, Northern Dynasty officials believe they can do as they will, as other large corporations do, and the heck with the good corporate citizen image.

$200 billion would surely change most everyone's attitude for the worse; it could make them feel unstoppable. Everyone in opposition ready to get steamrolled?

**********************

Why not mine Pebble project in small stage-by-stage operation?
Timothy C. Boese
Anchorage Daily News
March 12, 2007

http://www.adn.com/opinion/letters/story/8703051p-8604687c.html

Why do those ambitious gold diggers at Pebble need to rip open the largest man-made gash in some of the softest earth, which could possibly hold an Alaska El Dorado? Why not put a little governor on their motor and permit a much smaller operation?

It would provide a great compromise to all interested parties; extract the ore using any method from gold pan and sluice to, perhaps, one-acre buildings that contain a scaled-down setup including waste containment. When a small area is played, pack it all up, restore the environment and move to the next sector. That way we can test their clean-up abilities before the entire ecosystem is irrevocably damaged. It would also allow us to milk the mining revenues for many more years, make gold more valuable and allow some salmon to survive. What's the rush? Gold doesn't move fast underground.

**********************

Keep Bristol Bay waters pure: Ask lawmakers to support HB 74
Izetta Chambers
Anchorage Daily News
March 11, 2007

http://www.adn.com/opinion/letters/story/8701413p-8602504c.html

A mixing zone is where pollution is allowed to mix (i.e. pollute) into water bodies in order to dilute the pollution to an acceptable level. Until the recent 2005 changes, mixing zones were banned in fish spawning streams.

We are lucky to have what we have in Bristol Bay -- pure waters flowing out of our rivers. If the state Department of Natural Resources is allowed to permit developments that will discharge pollution into our rivers, we can say goodbye to this natural bounty.

I saw a television ad in Tucson, Ariz., where I am attending law school. It displayed people doing outdoor recreational activities amidst Alaska's beautiful rivers, streams, mountains and lakes. The ad didn't depict any of Alaska's large mines, because they are unsightly and among the largest sources of toxic pollution in the nation. Our collective values need to materialize into laws that protect our beautiful wild lands and valuable fisheries.

Dilution isn't the solution to pollution. It will end up somewhere, likely in the rivers that have sustained my family for generations. Help protect our sustainable fisheries. Write to your lawmakers today to tell them to support House Bill 74.

**********************

Fight goes on to keep Pebble mine out of our Bristol Bay watershed
Pat Walsh
Anchorage Daily News
March 10, 2007

http://www.adn.com/opinion/letters/story/8699184p-8599616c.html

Wild Alaska salmon are the gold of this century. The Bristol Bay watershed must be kept healthy to continue to harvest this renewable source of new gold.

The region has a thriving economy of commercial, sports and subsistence fishing, providing jobs and business ownership opportunities for Alaskans and food for the table. The Pebble mine and the huge territory Northern Dynasty is looking to develop would be extremely detrimental to the region's economic and social structure.

Why destroy two healthy, renewable resource industries (fishing and tourism) that truly employ Alaskans for one of robber-baron vintage? It doesn't make sense.

House Bill 134 is a start toward protecting the fishing and tourism industries in Bristol Bay.

**********************

Reply to Ramras
Gerald Newton
Fairbanks Daily News Miner
March 3, 2007

http://newsminer.com/2007/03/11/5828/#more-5828

To the editor:

I read Rep. Ramras’ article in Saturday’s paper about the Pebble project and was amazed at his lack of facts and twisted logic.

He states that by not developing Pebble Mine the state would have a better chance at the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. This is cowardly.

We should allow Pebble to be developed and show the world how resource development can be done without adversely harming the environment. The Red Dog, Fort Knox, and Pogo mines have been developed using existing permitting rules, and they are successes. We weren’t cowards then and we shouldn’t be cowards now.

Rep. Ramras is proposing changing the rules after Northern Dynasty found large deposits of gold, copper, and molybdenum at Pebble. This deposit is estimated to be the second-largest discovered deposit of its kind. House Bill 134 that Ramras is co-sponsoring will essentially prevent mining at Pebble by not allowing surface or subsurface water to be used for mining. To put it mildly, this is like changing the zoning for Pike’s Landing that Jay Ramras owns to disallow parking. How would Rep. Ramras like that?

The state of Alaska sold Northern Dynasty mineral claims at the Pebble location. If the state of Alaska did not want a mine at Pebble, then the mining leases should not have been sold and the land use category should have been other than mining.

To change the rules this late in the game is to make the state of Alaska liable for one very large lawsuit. Several hundred million dollars have been invested in this project based on the possibility of profit. If the state of Alaska now wants to stop this possibility by changing the rules of the game, then someone should pay, and the courts should be involved. People will lose their jobs. This will be job destruction brought on by a Republican state representative. This is something we should consider at the next election.

HB 134 should be pigeon-holed, or it should be amended to pay back investors several hundred million dollars, and Rep. Ramras should learn before he leaps.

**********************

Just about everyone I know in Alaska expects responsible behavior from our neighbors and fellow citizens.

We support laws that prohibit dumping antifreeze down the drain. If an unmarked truck pulls up to a stream and dumps a leaky barrel or two of some unidentified substance, we put down our fishing poles and call 911. We expect people to protect the resources that everyone shares, like our clean water, fisheries and wide open spaces. We count on people to act respectfully toward each other.

To view article in its entirety, please click on

http://juneauempire.com/stories/032707/opi_20070327001.shtml

Vancouver -- Coeur d'Alene Mines (CDM-T, CDE-N) has been hit with an appeals court ruling that effectively revokes permitting for the use of a lake as a tailings facility at its Kensington gold mine, under development in Alaska.

The court challenge was lodged by the Southeast Alaska Conservation Council (SEACC) in the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals against Coeur and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which granted the permits. The judgment, which says the court intends to "reverse and vacate" permits associated with the tailings facility, overturned a previous lower federal court decision from August 2006 that dismissed SEACC's complaint.

To view article in its entirety, please click on

http://www.northernminer.com/issues/ISarticle.asp?id=184772&story_id=10248094311&issue=03262007

Tax lesson for miners
Industry would do better to work with state on rewrite
Anchorage Daily News
March 25, 2007

Will Alaska's mining industry learn from the mistakes of its brethren in the oil and gas and cruise ship industries?

Will the mining industry look at its 52-year-old tax rates in Alaska and realize it's time to work on a new structure, one that matches today's larger mines?

To view article in its entirety, please click on

http://www.adn.com/opinion/view/story/8738764p-8640438c.html

Mine tops feds' list of toxic waste disposal sites
Kodiak Daily Mirror
March 23, 2007

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) -- Federal environmental regulars have listed the Red Dog Mine in Northwest Alaska as the top toxic polluter in the United States, for the sixth consecutive year.

To view article in its entirety, please click on

http://www.kodiakdailymirror.com/?pid=18&path=W/WST_RED_DOG_MINE

 

Will temporary dam cost Coeur’s Kensington gold project its freshwater tailings disposal?
The US 9th Circuit Court of Appeal has ruled against Coeur d’Alene Mines’ tailings disposal plans for the Kensington gold project in Alaska.
Author: Dorothy Kosich
MineWeb
March 19, 2007

RENO, NV -

A perceived end run by Coeur d'Alene Mines and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers against a federal court injunction may have cost Coeur Alaska the ability to dispose of the Kensington gold into a nearby freshwater lake.

To view article in its entirety, please click on

http://www.mineweb.net/mineweb/view/mineweb/en/page31?oid=16383&sn=Detail

 

 

Fish farming plan should be sunk
Editorial
Peninsula Clarion
March 18, 2007

The Bush administration’s push to allow fish farming for the first time in federal waters does not bode well for Alaska.

The plan would mean ocean farming of shellfish, salmon and saltwater species could occur in federal waters from three to 200 miles offshore.

To view article in its entirety, please click on

http://www.peninsulaclarion.com/stories/031807/oped_0318ope001.shtml

My Turn: Don't gamble with Berners Bay
Impoundment dams do fail, and when they do the consequences are severe
By MARK RORICK
Juneau Empire
March 14, 2007

Berners Bay's value goes well beyond Kensington Mine's gold reserves.

The bay has been designated an Aquatic Resource of National Importance by the Environmental Protection Agency.

To view article in its entirety, please click on

http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/031407/opi_20070314011.shtml

 

Editorial - Mining law changes worthy of discussion
Homer News
March 14, 2007

A bill sponsored by Rep. Paul Seaton, R-Homer, that would change parts of the state’s mining law for the first time since statehood and significantly increase what miners pay deserves some attention.

To view article in its entirety, please click on

http://www.homernews.com/stories/031407/oped_20070314002.shtml

 

Increasing value of seafood could lead to more flying fish
By Margaret Bauman
Alaska Journal of Commerce
March 11, 2007

Strong prices and high quality are key to growing opportunities for air freighters to transport wild Alaska seafood, according to Ray Riutta, executive director of the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute.

To view article in its entirety, please click on

http://www.alaskajournal.com/stories/031107/fis_20070311077.shtml

 

Coeur asks permission to build ditch for snowmelt
Company barred from construction pending court ruling
By BRITTANY RETHERFORD
JUNEAU EMPIRE
March 11, 2007

In preparation for spring snowmelt, Coeur Alaska has asked the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to allow construction of a drainage ditch near Lower Slate Lake at the mining company's Kensington mine site 40 miles north of Juneau.

To view article in its entirety, please click on

http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/031107/loc_20070311011.shtml

 

 

Opponents pick apart Chickaloon coal plan Here's what folks are saying about coal development
COMMENTS: While some are in favor, many see threats to area's wilderness character.
By S.J. KOMARNITSKY
Anchorage Daily News
March 9, 2007

WASILLA -- A proposed permit to allow exploratory coal drilling around the Matanuska Valley community of Chickaloon prompted a deluge of responses from concerned residents and others.

To view article in its entirety, please click on

http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/matsu/story/8696571p-8595858c.html

 

Coeur asks for permission to build diversion ditch
By Brittany Retherford
Juneau Empire
March 9, 2007

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers asked permission Wednesday from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to allow the Kensington mine to build a “diversion” ditch at Lower Slate Lake to prepare for the possibility of spring runoff.

To view article in its entirety, please click on

http://juneaublogger.com/naturalresources/?p=57

Can we do better than the Healy Coal Plant
By Brian Hirsch, Ph.D.
Homer News
March 7, 2007

Homer Electric Associ-ation’s recent decision to revive the Healy Coal Plant appears to raise more questions than it answers. From what’s publicly available, the provisions of the deal include the following:

To view article in its entirety, please click on

http://www.homernews.com/stories/030707/oped_5001.shtml

BERING SEA FISHERMEN’S ASSOCIATION

ALASKA MARINE CONSERVATION COUNCIL

ALASKA INDEPENDENT FISHERMEN’S MARKETING ASSOCIATION

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 22, 2007

Contact:

Karen Gillis, Bering Sea Fishermen’s Association (907) 441-7609

Kelly Harrell, Alaska Marine Conservation Council (907) 277-5357

David Harsila, Alaska Independent Fishermen’s Marketing Association (206) 618-3824

Terry Hoefferle, Alaska Marine Conservation Council (907) 842-5847; (907) 227-6369

Tom Tilden, Curyung Tribal Council (907) 842-2259

FISHERMEN HOPE TO TURN THE TIDE ON BRISTOL BAY OFFSHORE DRILLING PROPOSALS

Fishermen and local representatives travel to Capitol to urge Congress to restore protection for nation’s ‘fish basket’

(Anchorage, Alaska) –Bristol Bay fishermen and representatives from Alaska Native groups will be meeting with members of Congress next week to voice their concerns over proposed offshore oil and gas development in the nation’s ‘fish basket’. In January, President Bush removed a long-standing executive ban on offshore drilling in Bristol Bay, opening the way for leases the federal Minerals Management Service (MMS) has proposed in 2010 and 2012.

“Bristol Bay’s marine resources are simply too valuable—economically, ecologically and culturally—to put at risk,” said Karen Gillis, executive director of the Bering Sea Fishermen’s Association. Gillis’ organization represents 128 communities within the Arctic, Yukon, Kuskokwim, and Bristol Bay regions of Alaska and was instrumental in winning Congressional protection for Bristol Bay in 1989. “We saw what the Exxon-Valdez Oil Spill did to marine life in Prince William Sound and we’re determined to protect Bristol Bay from a similar disaster.” The congressional moratorium for Bristol Bay was lifted in 2003.

Alaska’s Bristol Bay and the southeastern Bering Sea encompass one of the most productive marine ecosystems in the world. These sub-arctic waters support important commercial fisheries, representing more than 40% of the nation’s annual seafood catch. The area targeted for oil and gas leasing overlaps with important habitat and fishing grounds for pollock, cod, red king crab, halibut and salmon – fisheries which generate more than $2 billion dollars annually.

Bristol Bay also supports the largest sockeye salmon runs on earth. “Interest in Bristol Bay wild salmon is soaring,” explained Mike Davis, a long-time Bristol Bay fisherman who recently returned from the International Boston Seafood Show. “Now is not the time to put this valuable resource at risk,” Davis said. “Instead, we should be investing in the sustained health of Bristol Bay fisheries to meet the growing market demand for wild seafood.”

“Salmon is central to village economies and ways of life,” explained Tom Tilden, Chief of the Curyung Tribal Council. “Little benefit would come to our communities from offshore development, but the risks to the fish and wildlife resources that are the irreplaceable mainstay of Alaska Native tradition and culture are tremendous,” Tilden said.

Environmental Impact Statements by the Minerals Management Service (MMS) have predicted at least one major oil spill as well as numerous smaller spills should development in Bristol Bay be allowed. “We are not at all confident in the oil industry’s ability to operate in this region without causing harm to Bristol Bay’s invaluable, renewable resources,” said Alaska Marine Conservation Council board member Terry Hoefferle. “Couple the poor track record of the oil industry demonstrated by corrosion of pipelines on the North Slope with the violent storms that are commonplace in the region and you have a recipe for disaster,” said Hoefferle. Recovery of spilled oil in the rough sea conditions, ice and strong tides and currents that characterize Bristol Bay is unfeasible due to inadequate clean-up technology. In addition, offshore infrastructure would be exposed to the full force of winter storms at a time of year when response efforts would be rendered useless.

“As millions are being spent to rebuild collapsed fisheries, it is important that the United States ensure the sustainability of remaining healthy wild fish stocks into the future,” said David Harsila, President of the Alaska Independent Fishermen’s Marketing Association. “Given their world-class importance, Bristol Bay fisheries must be at the heart of this effort.”

A summary of the top ten reasons to protect Bristol Bay from offshore oil and gas drilling can be found at www.akmarine.org/pressroom/BristolBayTopTen.pdf.

Fishing and local representatives who will be meeting with members of Congress from March 26-28, 2007 include:

• Mike Davis (Dillingham, AK), long-time Bristol Bay fishermen, Assistant Professor, University of Alaska Bristol Bay Campus, former four term state legislator

• Karen Gillis (Anchorage, AK) Executive Director, Bering Sea Fishermen’s Association

• David Harsila (Seattle, WA) President, Alaska Independent Fishermen’s Marketing Association and long-time Bristol Bay fishermen

• Terry Hoefferle (Dillingham, AK), Alaska Marine Conservation Council Board Member and former CEO of Bristol Bay Native Association

• Tom Tilden (Dillingham, AK) Chief of Curyung Tribal Council, long-time Bristol Bay fishermen, regional representative to the Alaska Federation of Natives and former mayor of Dillingham

Judge blocks mountaintop mine permits
Miners would have been able to fill valleys with mined ore
Associated Press
MSNBC
March 26, 2007

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - A federal judge ruled Friday that the Army Corps of Engineers illegally issued permits for four mountaintop removal mines without adequately determining whether the environment would be harmed.

To view article in its entirety, please click on

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17796407/

March 22, 2007

PRESS RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PRESS CONTACTS:

Colin Henderson, M.D. (719) 274-0322

Alliance for Responsible Mining

Karn Stiegelmeier, (970) 468-9013

Blue River Group of the Sierra Club – Chair

Jeff Parsons, Esq., (303) 823-5738

Western Mining Action Project

COLORADO COURT OF APPEALS REINSTATES SUMMIT COUNTY’S BAN ON OPEN-PIT CYANIDE LEACH GOLD MINING

Precedent-setting ruling clears way for local control over mining to protect local economies and water quality

DENVER, CO. – Today the Colorado Court of Appeals reversed a prior ruling of the Summit County District Court and reinstated Summit County’s regulatory ban on new open pit cyanide leach gold mines. Recognizing the serious environmental threats posed by such open pit cyanide leach gold mines like the Summitville Gold Mine in the San Juan Mountains, the Court of Appeals held in a 2-1 ruling that the Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Act “specifically requires that mining operators comply with zoning and land use regulations adopted by political subdivisions, such as those adopted by the County here.”

“This decision confirms local control to protect local economies and water quality from the serious threats repeatedly posed by open pit cyanide leach gold mining,” stated Jeff Parsons, attorney with the Lyons-based Western Mining Action Project, who represented the Alliance for Responsible Mining and the Blue River Group of the Sierra Club in appealing the case alongside the Summit County government. “Summit County residents ought to be proud of their elected leaders in standing up to protect the environment and quality of life in Summit County,” he added.

Five Colorado counties, including Summit, Gunnison, Conejos, Costilla, and Gilpin have passed similar land use regulations but the Colorado Mining Association (CMA) sued Summit County arguing that sole authority in placement of an open-pit cyanide gold mine lies with the state government bureaucracies within the Department of Natural Resources.

“The citizens of Colorado have experienced the devastation of the Summitville open-pit cyanide gold mine followed closely by the inexcusable groundwater and surface water contamination from Battle Mountain Gold Mine in San Luis,” stated Colin Henderson, M.D. President of the Alliance for Responsible Mining. “This ruling restores the ability of county governments to protect their water resources. Colorado’s precious rivers and streams are too valuable to risk with open pit cyanide leach gold mining.”

“Clean water provides us not only with a high quality of life and but also is the basis of a thriving mountain economy. Our long term physical and economic health relies on preserving these important water resources. County Commissioners must be able to prohibit specific types of mining that place our water resources at undo risk. The State of Montana prohibits this type of mining because of the harm it has caused,” said Karn Stiegelmeier, Chair of the Blue River Group of the Sierra Club.

Canada Scolded over Exploitation of Indigenous Peoples' Lands
Haider Rizvi
OneWorld US
March 16, 2007

UNITED NATIONS, Mar 16 (OneWorld) - Canada, like the United States, is facing international scrutiny for its treatment of indigenous people.

This week, a United Nations treaty body took the rare step of telling Canada to change its behavior on the human rights of native populations.

To view article in its entirety, please click on

http://fe21.news.re3.yahoo.com/s/oneworld/20070316/wl_oneworld/45361472371174088944

The Fraser River is listed as an endangered river.
By Jeff Nagel
Black Press – Surry Leader
Mar 16 2007

Georgia Basin's steelhead streams - like the Capilano, Seymour, Coquihalla and Cheakamus Rivers - have been ranked the second most endangered river system in the province this year.

To view article in its entirety, please click on

http://web.bcnewsgroup.com/portals-code/list.cgi?cat=23&paper=73&id=853912

Tribes mourn loss of falls
By Lynda V. Mapes
Seattle Times
March 12, 2007

CELILO VILLAGE -- Fifty years of silence.

A loss so big, it took tribes from all over the Northwest to count its measure in a commemoration over the weekend of the death of Celilo Falls 50 years ago March 10.

To view article in its entirety, please click on

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003613860_celilo12m.html

China's appetite fort metals remains unsated
Prices likely to remain high, Rio says
By Tan Hwee Ann
International Herald Tribune
March 12, 2007

MELBOURNE: Rio Tinto Group, the world's third-largest mining company, said China's demand for metals will likely rise, underpinning high prices for commodities this year.

To view article in its entirety, please click on

http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/03/12/bloomberg/sxrio.php

EPA wants life-draining Southern Oregon site cleaned up
Officials propose a Superfund listing for a deserted mine that has turned two rural streams into dead zones
PETER SLEETH
The Oregonian
March 08, 2007

Federal officials want to put an abandoned copper mine in Southern Oregon on the national Superfund list -- a mine whose pollution has choked off all life in 18 miles of two backcountry streams while changing their color to shiny bronze and silver.

To view article in its entirety, please click on

http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/117333875735810.xml&coll=7

 

Border mine opposition grows
By SUSAN GALLAGHER of the Associated Press
Missoulian

HELENA - A coal mine proposed in British Columbia and fought in Montana as an environmental threat that could extend south of the border is being challenged by the Bush administration.

To view article in its entirety, please click on

http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2007/03/12/news/top/news01.txt