It looks like we are going to be approved.
Anti-Pebble groups petitioned that the Army Corps of Engineers Final Environmental Impacts Statement evaluating the Pebble mine should be halted during the COVID-19 outbreak.
The Department of Natural Resources commissioner wrote that Pebble's evaluation has to be continued because, COVID-19 was devastating Alaska, and if approved, the Pebble mine, with its positive economic benefits, would be a life saver.
The anti-Pebble groups said that the commissioner's response proved that the Department of Natural Resources was working in collusion with Northern Dynasty Minerals Limited and therefore they should not be allowed to have any input on the decision to approve the Pebble mine.
Pure fake news and BS
The commissioner responded that the FEIS would determine if the Pebble mine would be detrimental to the area, or it would not be beneficial. The commissioner pointed out that if the FEIS said that the mine would be detrimental, then it would not be permitted. But we needed to know this one way or the other, and that that was why the Department said that the FEIS had to keep moving forward.
Here is the correspondence. Reading it shows that everything indicates that the Pebble mine is going to be approved.
By Grant Robinson |
Posted: Mon 7:07 PM, May 04, 2020 |
Updated: Mon 10:38 PM, May 04, 2020
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - This summer the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is expected to release the Final Environmental Impacts Statement on the proposed Pebble Mine and a decision on whether it meets the criteria for an essential permit under the Clean Water Act.
Yet with communities in Bristol Bay working to navigate a summer fishing season in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, several stakeholders sent letters requesting that the permitting process be delayed, slowed down or suspended while attention is focused on preparing and responding to COVID-19.
The request from Bristol Bay groups was countered by a letter from the Department of Natural Resources commissioner calling on the Corps to maintain the permitting schedule, citing the economic toll of the coronavirus as a reason to continue the permitting.
However for United Tribes of Bristol Bay Executive Director Alannah Hurley, other language in the letter went beyond addressing the permitting process and crossed into openly supporting the project.
In her April 15 letter USACE, Commissioner Corri Feige wrote, "We strongly encourage you to adhere to your defined NEPA schedule. With economic impacts felt at the federal, state, and local levels from COVID-19 and the current oil prices, we should be doing everything in our authority and ability to keep projects of statewide importance moving forward.
The proposed Pebble Mine Project is important to Alaskans, as it will provide jobs, infrastructure, and revenues critical for local, regional, and statewide economies that are being significantly impacted by COVID-19."
Hurley says the letter from the commissioner was shocking.
"This is much beyond a letter talking about processes and timelines. It was really a letter in sheer support of the project," Hurley said. "The fact that this letter followed a letter coming from Bristol Bay asking for a delay and citing many of the issues we're dealing with right now with COVID-19, this letter is not only ignoring local people, but also taking a stand against local people in Alaska's position on the permitting timeline and this project."
The Clean Water Act Section 404 permit application the Army Corps is reviewing is typically the most rigorous and time-demanding of the permits needed to move forward with the project. However, if the Pebble Partnership receives a 404 permit, it will also need to received dozens of permits issued by state regulators.
Many of permits needed would be evaluated and administered by the Alaska Department of Natural Resources. Hurley says the letter from the commissioner of the department casts doubt on whether the DNR will be able to evaluate the permit applications objectively.
"It's very clear that the DNR has gone from trying to analyze this project to being its complete, resolute cheerleader, which is extremely concerning," Hurley said. "The State of Alaska is actively advocating against the vast majority of Alaskans, and it really calls into question, is this commissioner fit to serve? The letter is so far from objective, how can we have any confidence that the state permitting process will have any integrity?"
In addition to Hurley’s concerns, last week the owners of more than 40 fishing lodges, flying services and other Bristol Bay businesses sent a letter to Gov. Mike Dunleavy which listed the administration using the economic impacts of COVID-19 to justify support for the project among other actions the business owners say the administration has taken that they say could undermine their businesses and livelihoods.
A spokesperson for the DNR said Commissioner Feige was unavailable for an interview, but issued a statement to Channel 2.
“My April 15 letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is just one of several communications I’ve initiated with federal agencies on projects in Alaska, including the Willow oil development on the North Slope, Roadless Rulemaking in the Tongass, and the Pebble project. My message in all of them was consistent: Alaska is facing significant economic impacts from the combined effect of low oil prices, curtailment of the tourist season, and the general economic slowdown from COVID-19 social distancing and “hunkering down.” That’s why it’s so important that we keep making progress on projects that hold out the possibility of new economic activity in the state. We at the Department of Natural Resources are, and have been throughout the COVID-19 response, hard at work doing our job to manage our resources to benefit the people, and I encouraged our sister resource agencies in the federal government to resist the pressure to use the pandemic as an excuse to slow or stop progress on these projects.
My letter regarding the Pebble project spoke to the importance of maintaining the NEPA timeline, which has an impact on when a project can begin to enter the State’s permitting process. The State process is lengthy and time consuming in and of itself, and no determinations, either for or against a project, can be made until all facets of the project are put through the State’s rigorous review and analysis. For large, complex projects, that process is extremely involved, includes numerous public comment periods, and takes considerable time.
Part of DNR’s complex mission is to ensure that resource projects that have potential to benefit Alaskans – be they mines, oil wells, ski resorts or others -- don’t languish in federal processes, but are moved forward in a timely manner so the State’s permitting processes can determine if they are, in fact, in the State’s interest or not.”
- Corri A. Feige, Commissioner, Alaska Department of Natural Resources
The Pebble Partnership has not yet applied for state permits for the project. A spokesperson for the company says that they expect that process to take about three years.
"There is no question that state regulators will be objective in evaluating our project once we file our state permits," Mike Heatwole, with the Pebble Partnership said in an email. "It is worth stressing that the project is on state land and as such it is an important state asset that should be fully and fairly reviewed. And, the letter from the DNR to the USACE is not unusual."
April 15, 2020
Colonel Phillip Borders
Alaska District Engineer
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
P.O. Box 6898
JBER, Alaska 99506-0898
Subject: Pebble Mine Project Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS)
I wanted to reach out to you and your team to assure you that the State of Alaska remains committed to
assisting the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) with completing the Pebble Mine Project Final
Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS).
As you are aware, the State of Alaska, led by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), has engaged
throughout the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review process for the proposed Pebble
Mine Project. We appreciate the level of effort and amount of resources the USACE has brought to this
NEPA review, especially over the past two months while Alaska and the nation have responded to
COVID-19.
We strongly encourage you to adhere to your defined NEPA schedule. With economic impacts felt at
the federal, state, and local levels from COVID-19 and the current oil prices, we should be doing
everything in our authority and ability to keep projects of statewide importance moving forward.
The proposed Pebble Mine Project is important to Alaskans, as it will provide jobs, infrastructure, and
revenues critical for local, regional, and statewide economies that are being significantly impacted by
COVID-19. Keeping the Pebble Mine FEIS, Record of Decision, and associated required consultations,
on their defined timelines will enhance the applicant’s ability to initiate the state permitting process
sooner.
Considering the USACE has completed the required public commenting periods and held several
technical meetings with cooperating agencies for the Pebble Mine Project, we believe the USACE has
acquired and analyzed ample information on which to base its Record of Decision.
We recognize that everyone is adjusting their daily lives as we all learn more about COVID-19. At DNR
we have also had to adjust our business processes during the current preparedness and response period.
For example, we continue to have success using a variety of telecommunication tools and video
conferencing software that allows us to interact and collaborate even in this time of “social distancing.”
We have used this method to communicate with the public and our own partners throughout government
and the private sector. We greatly appreciate the USACE’s use of similar technologies to continue
effective engagements with cooperating agencies and required consultations.
I would like to reiterate that it is precisely due to our current situation why it is imperative for us to stay
on task and on schedule, perhaps now more than ever. When we make it through this pandemic, we will
need to be prepared to reenergize our economy, job force, and revenue streams. Keeping the Pebble
Mine Project on time will be a huge step in that direction, benefitting our statewide economy. As a
Cooperating Agency assisting the USACE with the FEIS, we look forward to continuing to work with
you towards a timely completion.
Sincerely
Corri Feige, Commissioner
Department of Natural Resources
Office of the Commissioner
A duplicate of this report has been sent to:
David Hobbie, USACE Regulatory Chief,
david.s.hobbie@usace.army.mil
Jason Brune, Commissioner, Department of Environmental Conservation
Doug Vincent-Lang, Commissioner, Department of Fish and Game
And it looks like people are listening:
We are moving up strongly, even though sellers tried to bring us down this morning
Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd. (NAK)
NYSE American - Nasdaq Real Time Price. Currency in USD
NAK 0.728 + 0.0651
Several days ago gold was forecast to start dropping, but that it would only be temporary, and then restart its multi-year bull market
Anti-Pebble groups petitioned that the Army Corps of Engineers Final Environmental Impacts Statement evaluating the Pebble mine should be halted during the COVID-19 outbreak.
The Department of Natural Resources commissioner wrote that Pebble's evaluation has to be continued because, COVID-19 was devastating Alaska, and if approved, the Pebble mine, with its positive economic benefits, would be a life saver.
The anti-Pebble groups said that the commissioner's response proved that the Department of Natural Resources was working in collusion with Northern Dynasty Minerals Limited and therefore they should not be allowed to have any input on the decision to approve the Pebble mine.
Pure fake news and BS
The commissioner responded that the FEIS would determine if the Pebble mine would be detrimental to the area, or it would not be beneficial. The commissioner pointed out that if the FEIS said that the mine would be detrimental, then it would not be permitted. But we needed to know this one way or the other, and that that was why the Department said that the FEIS had to keep moving forward.
Here is the correspondence. Reading it shows that everything indicates that the Pebble mine is going to be approved.
By Grant Robinson |
Posted: Mon 7:07 PM, May 04, 2020 |
Updated: Mon 10:38 PM, May 04, 2020
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - This summer the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is expected to release the Final Environmental Impacts Statement on the proposed Pebble Mine and a decision on whether it meets the criteria for an essential permit under the Clean Water Act.
Yet with communities in Bristol Bay working to navigate a summer fishing season in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, several stakeholders sent letters requesting that the permitting process be delayed, slowed down or suspended while attention is focused on preparing and responding to COVID-19.
The request from Bristol Bay groups was countered by a letter from the Department of Natural Resources commissioner calling on the Corps to maintain the permitting schedule, citing the economic toll of the coronavirus as a reason to continue the permitting.
However for United Tribes of Bristol Bay Executive Director Alannah Hurley, other language in the letter went beyond addressing the permitting process and crossed into openly supporting the project.
In her April 15 letter USACE, Commissioner Corri Feige wrote, "We strongly encourage you to adhere to your defined NEPA schedule. With economic impacts felt at the federal, state, and local levels from COVID-19 and the current oil prices, we should be doing everything in our authority and ability to keep projects of statewide importance moving forward.
The proposed Pebble Mine Project is important to Alaskans, as it will provide jobs, infrastructure, and revenues critical for local, regional, and statewide economies that are being significantly impacted by COVID-19."
Hurley says the letter from the commissioner was shocking.
"This is much beyond a letter talking about processes and timelines. It was really a letter in sheer support of the project," Hurley said. "The fact that this letter followed a letter coming from Bristol Bay asking for a delay and citing many of the issues we're dealing with right now with COVID-19, this letter is not only ignoring local people, but also taking a stand against local people in Alaska's position on the permitting timeline and this project."
The Clean Water Act Section 404 permit application the Army Corps is reviewing is typically the most rigorous and time-demanding of the permits needed to move forward with the project. However, if the Pebble Partnership receives a 404 permit, it will also need to received dozens of permits issued by state regulators.
Many of permits needed would be evaluated and administered by the Alaska Department of Natural Resources. Hurley says the letter from the commissioner of the department casts doubt on whether the DNR will be able to evaluate the permit applications objectively.
"It's very clear that the DNR has gone from trying to analyze this project to being its complete, resolute cheerleader, which is extremely concerning," Hurley said. "The State of Alaska is actively advocating against the vast majority of Alaskans, and it really calls into question, is this commissioner fit to serve? The letter is so far from objective, how can we have any confidence that the state permitting process will have any integrity?"
In addition to Hurley’s concerns, last week the owners of more than 40 fishing lodges, flying services and other Bristol Bay businesses sent a letter to Gov. Mike Dunleavy which listed the administration using the economic impacts of COVID-19 to justify support for the project among other actions the business owners say the administration has taken that they say could undermine their businesses and livelihoods.
A spokesperson for the DNR said Commissioner Feige was unavailable for an interview, but issued a statement to Channel 2.
“My April 15 letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is just one of several communications I’ve initiated with federal agencies on projects in Alaska, including the Willow oil development on the North Slope, Roadless Rulemaking in the Tongass, and the Pebble project. My message in all of them was consistent: Alaska is facing significant economic impacts from the combined effect of low oil prices, curtailment of the tourist season, and the general economic slowdown from COVID-19 social distancing and “hunkering down.” That’s why it’s so important that we keep making progress on projects that hold out the possibility of new economic activity in the state. We at the Department of Natural Resources are, and have been throughout the COVID-19 response, hard at work doing our job to manage our resources to benefit the people, and I encouraged our sister resource agencies in the federal government to resist the pressure to use the pandemic as an excuse to slow or stop progress on these projects.
My letter regarding the Pebble project spoke to the importance of maintaining the NEPA timeline, which has an impact on when a project can begin to enter the State’s permitting process. The State process is lengthy and time consuming in and of itself, and no determinations, either for or against a project, can be made until all facets of the project are put through the State’s rigorous review and analysis. For large, complex projects, that process is extremely involved, includes numerous public comment periods, and takes considerable time.
Part of DNR’s complex mission is to ensure that resource projects that have potential to benefit Alaskans – be they mines, oil wells, ski resorts or others -- don’t languish in federal processes, but are moved forward in a timely manner so the State’s permitting processes can determine if they are, in fact, in the State’s interest or not.”
- Corri A. Feige, Commissioner, Alaska Department of Natural Resources
The Pebble Partnership has not yet applied for state permits for the project. A spokesperson for the company says that they expect that process to take about three years.
"There is no question that state regulators will be objective in evaluating our project once we file our state permits," Mike Heatwole, with the Pebble Partnership said in an email. "It is worth stressing that the project is on state land and as such it is an important state asset that should be fully and fairly reviewed. And, the letter from the DNR to the USACE is not unusual."
April 15, 2020
Colonel Phillip Borders
Alaska District Engineer
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
P.O. Box 6898
JBER, Alaska 99506-0898
Subject: Pebble Mine Project Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS)
I wanted to reach out to you and your team to assure you that the State of Alaska remains committed to
assisting the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) with completing the Pebble Mine Project Final
Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS).
As you are aware, the State of Alaska, led by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), has engaged
throughout the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review process for the proposed Pebble
Mine Project. We appreciate the level of effort and amount of resources the USACE has brought to this
NEPA review, especially over the past two months while Alaska and the nation have responded to
COVID-19.
We strongly encourage you to adhere to your defined NEPA schedule. With economic impacts felt at
the federal, state, and local levels from COVID-19 and the current oil prices, we should be doing
everything in our authority and ability to keep projects of statewide importance moving forward.
The proposed Pebble Mine Project is important to Alaskans, as it will provide jobs, infrastructure, and
revenues critical for local, regional, and statewide economies that are being significantly impacted by
COVID-19. Keeping the Pebble Mine FEIS, Record of Decision, and associated required consultations,
on their defined timelines will enhance the applicant’s ability to initiate the state permitting process
sooner.
Considering the USACE has completed the required public commenting periods and held several
technical meetings with cooperating agencies for the Pebble Mine Project, we believe the USACE has
acquired and analyzed ample information on which to base its Record of Decision.
We recognize that everyone is adjusting their daily lives as we all learn more about COVID-19. At DNR
we have also had to adjust our business processes during the current preparedness and response period.
For example, we continue to have success using a variety of telecommunication tools and video
conferencing software that allows us to interact and collaborate even in this time of “social distancing.”
We have used this method to communicate with the public and our own partners throughout government
and the private sector. We greatly appreciate the USACE’s use of similar technologies to continue
effective engagements with cooperating agencies and required consultations.
I would like to reiterate that it is precisely due to our current situation why it is imperative for us to stay
on task and on schedule, perhaps now more than ever. When we make it through this pandemic, we will
need to be prepared to reenergize our economy, job force, and revenue streams. Keeping the Pebble
Mine Project on time will be a huge step in that direction, benefitting our statewide economy. As a
Cooperating Agency assisting the USACE with the FEIS, we look forward to continuing to work with
you towards a timely completion.
Sincerely
Corri Feige, Commissioner
Department of Natural Resources
Office of the Commissioner
A duplicate of this report has been sent to:
David Hobbie, USACE Regulatory Chief,
david.s.hobbie@usace.army.mil
Jason Brune, Commissioner, Department of Environmental Conservation
Doug Vincent-Lang, Commissioner, Department of Fish and Game
And it looks like people are listening:
We are moving up strongly, even though sellers tried to bring us down this morning
Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd. (NAK)
NYSE American - Nasdaq Real Time Price. Currency in USD
NAK 0.728 + 0.0651
Several days ago gold was forecast to start dropping, but that it would only be temporary, and then restart its multi-year bull market
