Pebble Mine (Alaska)
Pebble Mine is a proposed mining project located in Southwestern Alaska, known for its significant deposits of copper, gold, and other minerals. The site, about 200 miles southwest of Anchorage, is remote and can only be accessed via helicopter. Discovered in 1987, it is considered one of the world's largest mineral reserves, with estimates of about 67 million ounces of gold and 55 billion pounds of copper, valued at approximately $300 billion in 2014. However, the project has faced substantial opposition due to concerns about its potential impact on the local ecosystem, particularly the wildlife and fisheries in Bristol Bay, a crucial habitat for salmon and a major source of livelihood for indigenous peoples and local fishermen.
Over the years, various stakeholders, including conservation groups and some Alaskan politicians, have raised alarms about the environmental risks associated with the mine. In November 2020, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers denied the necessary permit for the project, effectively halting its development after Northern Dynasty Minerals, the project's primary developer, had already invested over $1 billion. This decision not only thwarted the mining project but also raised questions about the economic benefits it could have brought, including job creation and tax revenue for local communities. The controversy surrounding Pebble Mine reflects broader dialogues about natural resource extraction, environmental protection, and the rights of indigenous populations in Alaska.
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Pebble Mine (Alaska)
Pebble Mine is a proposed mine development project in the Southwestern Alaska. The region contains large deposits of copper, gold, and other minerals. The remote area is under control of the United States government and can only be accessed by helicopter. Developers sought government permits to build a port and other infrastructure to access the mineral deposits. Opponents to the project raised concerns that it would affect the wildlife and the ecology of Bristol Bay. The matter was hotly contested over a number of years. In November 2020, the United States Army Corp of Engineers denied the mine development permit, effectively ending the project.
Background
The Pebble Mine area is located about 200 miles (322 kilometers) southwest of Anchorage. The closest towns—Nondalton, Newhalen, and Iliamna—are about 20 miles (32.2 kilometers) away. The mineral deposits are located on mostly unforested land that includes includes terrain ranging from low marshland to alpine tundra to the nearly 3,000-foot (915-meter) height of Groundhog Mountain.
The area is landlocked but is part of a drainage field for Upper Talarik Creek and the Koktuli River. The creek, in turn, empties into Lake Iliamna and then into the Kvichak River. Water from the river ultimately flows into Bristol Bay, which is about 230 miles (515 kilometers) by river, or 100 miles (160 kilometers) by air, from the mine area.
Overview
The rich mineral deposits at Pebble were initially discovered in 1987. Further study by development company Teck Resources revealed that the area contained one of the world’s largest deposits of both copper and gold. Gold is always in demand, and demand for copper has been growing because it plays an increasingly important role in medical and technological innovations. The area also includes a significant amount of molybdenum—a metal used to harden steel and help it resist corrosion—along with smaller amounts of silver and other useful minerals. Experts determined that there approximately 67 million ounces (1.9 million kilograms) of gold, 55 billion pounds (25 billion kilograms) of copper, and 3.3 billion pounds (1.5 billion kilograms) of molybdenum in the mine. In 2014, the minerals in the 5.3-square mile (13.7-square kilometer) Pebble Mine area were valued at $300 billion.
Canada-based Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd. acquired the rights to the mine in 2001. In 2007, Northern Dynasty agreed to joint venture with Anglo American that split the project evenly between them. The following year, the developers began to experience opposition to their project when numerous major jewelry companies raised concerns about its potential impact on Bristol Bay. In 2009, representatives of the indigenous peoples in the area raised their opposition to the plan at an Anglo American shareholders’ meeting.
Opposition continued to grow and was backed by some Alaskan politicians. Salmon fishermen and fisheries, as well as the hunting and fishing lodges dependent on the local wildlife to make their living, also opposed the project. Approximately 75 percent of the area’s workforce is tied in some way to salmon fishing. Conservation groups, including National Geographic magazine and other environmentalists, raised concerns about the project’s potential impact on the land and wildlife.
By September 2013, Anglo American decided not to pursue Pebble Mine, leaving it fully in the hands of Northern Dynasty. The following February, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) used a provision in the Clean Water Act of 1972 to shut down the project. Several lawsuits involving the EPA and the Pebble Mine developers also arose.
These lawsuits were resolved in 2017, raising hopes that permits needed for the project could be procured. This did not come to pass, as the EPA put the permit review on hold in 2018. In June 2019, the EPA reversed course and reopened its review. A year later, in July 2020, the US Army Corps of Engineers completed its environmental impact study and recommended the project be allowed.
A few weeks later, the project ran into additional opposition from a number of high-ranking Republicans in the administration of President Donald Trump. In August, Northern Dynasty was asked to provide additional information on steps it would take to offset the impact of the mine on wetlands near the mine area.
The project itself involved two areas known as Pebble West and Pebble East. A pit mine approximately one third of a mile (half a kilometer) deep and covering about 1 square mile (2.6 square kilometers) is known as Pebble West. The deposits in the Pebble West area are deeper and required underground mining. The remaining 4-plus square miles (10 square kilometers) of the mine project required ponds and other containment areas for the debris from the mine. Developing the open-pit mining project required a number of infrastructure projects. These included a multi-road transportation corridor to carry supplies into the mine and ore out; and a deep-water port at Amakdedori Creek near Bristol Bay. Plans also included a 165-mile (266-kilometer) natural gas pipeline and power lines, as well as the facilities needed to process the millions of gallons of water and slurry required by the mining operation.
The project required a number of permits from several government agencies, including the EPA, the US Coast Guard, and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Engineering. Permits were required for the use of the water in the area, multiple facets of the construction projects, and the mining itself. On November 25, 2020, the Army Corp denied the permit that would have allowed blasting to open the mining pit. This effectively killed the entire project.
At the time of the permit denial, Northern Dynasty had already spent more than $1 billion to develop the project. In mid-December 2020, they announced they would appeal the Army Corp’s decision. Company officials cited the initial favorable Army Corp recommendation and claimed the denial was politically motivated. Others pointed to leaked phone recordings allegedly made by environmentalists posing as investors. In the calls, Northern Dynasty officials reportedly claimed to have good and helpful connections with officials in the White House, raising concerns that Pebble was being given favorable treatment. Company officials allege concerns about public reaction to this presumed favor caused the government to deny the permit.
In 2024, three lawsuits were filed against the EPA in federal district court in Alaska, one by Northern Dynasty, one by the State of Alaska, and one by Iliamna Natives Limited and Alaska Peninsula Corporation, each challenging the EPA's decision to veto the project. Denying the permit had negative consequences beyond the money lost by Northern Dynasty. Alaska and the surrounding municipalities would have gained significant tax income from the project. It would also have generated an estimated two thousand jobs, with about half being long-term and the remainder part of the initial mine establishment.
Bibliography
“Alaska’s Pebble Mine Told to Offset Damage as Republican Opposition Grows.” Reuters, 24 Aug. 2020, www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-alaska-pebblemine/alaskas-pebble-mine-told-to-offset-damage-as-republican-opposition-grows-idUSKBN25K1W5?utm‗source=google&utm‗medium=search&utm‗campaign=pebble. Accessed 4 Feb. 2025.
Ernst, Aaron. “Alaska’s Controversial Pebble Mine Was Dead. But Not Anymore.” PBS Frontline, 27 May 2020, www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/alaska-pebble-mine-bristol-bay/. Accessed 4 Feb. 2025.
“FactBox—History of Alaska’s Pebble Mine Project: A Long-Running Saga.” Reuters, 25 Aug. 2020, www.reuters.com/article/usa-alaska-pebblemine-history/factbox-history-of-alaskas-pebble-mine-project-a-long-running-saga-idUSL1N2FR1JK. Accessed 4 Feb. 2025.
“Pebble.” Pebble Partnership, pebblepartnership.com. Accessed 4 Feb. 2025.
Reynolds, Joe. "Suits Target Veto, but Pebble Mine Opposition Will Never End." NRDC, 28 Aug. 2024, www.nrdc.org/bio/joel-reynolds/suits-target-veto-pebble-mine-opposition-will-never-end. Accessed 4 Feb. 2025.
Rosen, Julia. “The World Needs Copper. Does It Need this Controversial Mine?” National Geographic, 15 Nov. 2017, www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2017/11/pebble-mine-alaska-copper-epa-trump-environment/. Accessed 4 Feb. 2025.
Ruskin, Liz. “Trump Administration Rejects Pebble Mine Project in Alaska.” National Public Radio, 25 Nov. 2020, www.npr.org/2020/11/25/939002676/trump-administration-rejects-pebble-mine-project-in-alaska. Accessed 4 Feb. 2025.
Weir, Bill. “Army Corps Denies Permit for Controversial Mine that Threatened Salmon Habitat in Alaska.” CNN, 25 Nov. 2020, www.cnn.com/2020/11/25/politics/pebble-mine-alaska-permit-denied/index.html. Accessed 4 Feb. 2025.