Two-sided Pebble discussion united by youths

Published on January 28th, 2010

By TAMMY JUDD

The Leadership and Asset Youth Coalition hosted a panel discussion on the proposed Pebble mine on Jan. 19 at the Dillingham High School gym, inviting participation from both sides of the Pebble mine issue.

The proposed mine is at the site of a large deposit of gold/copper/molybdenum near Iliamna and the headwaters of primary salmon spawning streams that feed into Bristol Bay. Pebble Partnership has been doing exploration to determine the feasibility of developing a mine but has not yet developed a mining plan nor begun applying for permits. Many fishermen and residents of the Bristol Bay region oppose the development because of the close proximity of the proposed mine to the spawning streams.

The youth group organized the panel discussion to become more educated on both sides of the issue and invited panelists who "generally support the existing process for the proposed mine" and those who "do not trust the existing process for the mine."

Panelists on the support side included John Shively, CEO of Pebble Partnership; Lisa Reimers, CEO of Iliamna Development Corp.; Greg Anelon, a Newhalen City board member and project manager with Iliamna Development Corp.; and Jack DeMarchi, mining coordinator with the Department of Natural Resources, and others. The opposing panel included Bobby Andrew, Ekwok Tribal Council; Rick Halford, Trout Unlimited; Tom Tilden, vice president of Choggiung Ltd.; Lydia Olympic, The Wilderness Society; and Vernor Wilson of Nunamta Alukestai, among others.

The discussion was carefully moderated by Mike Mason of KDLG radio to assure both sides were given equal time to present their thoughts and perspectives.

Each side was given five minutes to respond to a question, then five minutes was allowed for a back and forth exchange and five minutes for audience to comment or ask questions. The coalition asked the following questions:

• What are the potential benefits of the proposed Pebble mine to the people in this region?

• What negative impact might the Pebble mine have on the region?

• Will the regional majority public opinion really have a direct impact on whether the mine is developed?

• If you could change the permitting process, how would you change it? If you would not change it, what are its merits?

• What does the term "cultural genocide" mean to you and do you think it is an appropriate term to use to describe negative impacts of the mine if they occur?

Anelon, who is supportive of the permitting process, said in his community of Newhalen the economy has collapsed as fish escapement up the Kvichak has dropped and caribou have disappeared. The Pebble project offers hope for some development in that area by providing work to help them subsist in a cash economy.

On the other side, Tilden said that the officials who issue permits do not come from a subsistence background but rather from industry, so opposing the mine process might be "playing against a stacked deck." He did note that the mine has brought people together in unity to protect Bristol Bay, "the world's largest and last wild salmon run in the world." He said it is worth protecting and that others will stand behind them.

Pebble's Shively said he's not convinced yet whether the project would work environmentally or economically, but he was going to take the time to figure it out.

"The responsible thing to do would be to wait until we can show you what it would be like, what our protections will be, and how in some ways we not only can protect the fish, but as some of the other mines in the state have done, improve some of the fish habitat over the long run," Shively said.

He also reassured that the last thing he wanted to do is wreck the fish or the culture and that he wouldn't be involved if that was going to be the result of the project.

Halford adamantly told the youths that this was the greatest issue of their lifetimes.

"Opposition to the Pebble mine is probably the most important thing for you the true stakeholders in the back of the room, because you're the one that will have to deal with this, many of us will be long gone but you will be here and you will need to deal with this," Halford said.

The Leadership and Asset Youth Coalition formed about two years ago with the motto "making things happen." It held a similar panel discussion as one of its first actions. The group has also done anti-drug campaigns, culture camps, youth baseball, a youth and elders celebration, peer tutoring, Elders and Youth Council, Youth Court, D.C. Close-Up, game night, planting and painting in Dillingham and they formed the group Rebels to the Pebble.