Pebble Mine is the common name of a proposed copper-gold-molybdenum mining project in the Bristol Bay region of Southwest Alaska, near Lake Iliamna and Lake Clark In November 2020, the developer was denied a US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) permit for its proposed mine discharge plan
What will be mined at Pebble Mine?
The proposed Pebble Mine would excavate a metallic sulfide ore deposit; the principle commercial products would be copper, molybdenum, gold, some silver, and possibly palladium and rhenium Similar copper deposits around the world often yield additional metal products such as selenium, mercury and uranium
What is Pebble Mine project in Alaska?
The Pebble Project is located in the Bristol Bay Region in south-west Alaska, approximately 200 miles from Anchorage It is a green field project based on a copper-gold-molybdenum porphyry deposit, which is considered to be the largest deposit of its kind in the world Minerals Copper, gold and molybdenum
Why Pebble Mine is bad?
The Pebble Mine—proposed at the headwaters of the planet’s greatest wild salmon fishery in Bristol Bay, Alaska—threatens the communities and ecosystems that depend on the bay’s abundant wildlife It’s also a terrible investment, pitting an eternal supply of food against an eternal supply of poison
Is the Pebble project dead?
The short answer is yes In shooting-down Pebble’s mitigation plan on November 25, the Army Corps essentially issued a death sentence to the Pebble mine And that means extinguishing all mining claims in the region, and installing permanent safeguards that protect wild Alaska salmon habitat for generations to come
How much is the Pebble Mine worth?
According to developer Pebble Limited Partnership (owned by Canadian company Northern Dynasty Minerals), the deposit area contains 806 billion pounds of copper, 1074 million ounces of gold and 56 billion pounds of molybdenum It is worth an estimated $400 billion
What are the benefits of Pebble Mine?
Building a mine at the Pebble Deposit means building the region’s infrastructure: port facilities and transportation routes Locals benefit from these as well, both directly and indirectly—with greater access to the region, the price of goods comes down
Who owns the Pebble Mine Land?
The Pebble Limited Partnership is now 100% owned by The Northern Dynasty Partnership, which is a wholly owned Canadian-based subsidiary of Northern Dynasty Minerals, Limited
Who is Tom Collier?
Tom Collier is a multi-instrumental percussionist and vibraphonist, with a career in music spanning more than fifty years He has performed and recorded as a session musician with many important jazz, classical, and popular artists
How will Pebble Mine affect the environment?
According to the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, Phase 1 of the proposed Pebble Mine would: Destroy more than 80 miles of streams and 3,500 acres of wetlands Create a toxic pit lake filled with 61 billion gallons of mine water Create a barge system across Lake Iliamna to transport mine concentrate
Who is the biggest gold miner in Alaska?
Northern Star – Pogo In 2019, the mine produced 183 thousand ounces of gold and is projected to be Alaska’s largest producing mine in 2020
Is Pebble mine good or bad?
The proposed Pebble mine poses a significant and unacceptable risk of losing perhaps the world’s best remaining wild salmon fishery, and has the potential to destroy the critical cultural heritage and food supply that Alaska Native Tribes in the area have relied on for millennia
Can anyone gold mine in Alaska?
Recreational gold panning and prospecting are permitted, with some restrictions, on most public lands in Alaska On private lands or mining claims, the owner’s permission is needed to mine even if you are just gold panning Alaska Native villages and corporation lands are private
What is the Bristol Bay Pebble Mine?
The Pebble deposit is a massive storehouse of gold, copper and molybdenum, located in the headwaters of the Kvichak and Nushagak Rivers, two of the eight major rivers that feed Bristol Bay If built, Pebble would be one of the largest mines in the world
When was Pebble Mine proposed?
Exploratory drilling at Pebble Mine first came about in 2002, when Northern Dynasty Minerals, a small Canadian company, proposed the project on 186 square miles of Alaska state land for which it held the mineral rights
What state is Bristol Bay?
Alaska
How many jobs will the Pebble Mine create?
How many jobs might the Pebble development create, and will they go to local residents? PLP estimates that the project would provide more than 2,000 full-time positions over its 20-year life span, with many more during the initial construction period
How far is Pebble mine from Bristol Bay?
Pebble is over 100 miles from Bristol Bay
What is the largest copper mine in Alaska?
Kennecott, Alaska Area 7,700 acres (3,100 ha) Built 1911 Architect Kennecott Mines Company NRHP reference No 78003420 Significant dates
Is there lithium in Alaska?
It is the largest lithium deposit in the United States, Benson says A number of other active volcanoes are erupting throughout the world, Benson says, including one in Nicaragua and a particularly “exciting” one, called Bogoslof, north of the Aleutian Arc in Alaska
What are environmental issues in Alaska?
Alaska has recently experienced profound environmental change related to extreme weather events and deviations from the historical climate Sustained warmth, sea ice loss, coastal flooding, river flooding, and major ecosystem changes have impacted the daily lives of Alaskans around the state
Did the Pebble mine get approved?
The corps’ Pacific Ocean Division in Hawaii is handling the appeal by the Pebble Limited Partnership, which was denied approval of a key permit for the project in Alaska’s Bristol Bay region by the corps’ Alaska District
What are the negative side effects of mining in Alaska?
mines Toxic spills and acid mine drainage kill wildlife, poison community drinking water, and pose serious health risks enormous impoundments built directly on top of streams, ponds, and wetlands in the headwaters of some of the most productive salmon rivers on earth