By Jameelah Kareem
Islamic Post Staff Writer

Mixed emotions and debates arise regarding jobs, economic development, and many other issues in rural Alaska, as lawmakers push towards an independent pebble mine study being conducted at Bristol Bay.

The Pebble Mine project is a controversial proposal by Northern Dynasty Minerals to build one of the largest gold and copper mines in the world, in southwest Alaska, near Lake Iliamna. Northern Dynasty has not yet applied for permits, but their current proposal involves both a large open pit and an underground mine, as well as removal of the water from the headwaters of Upper Talarik Creek and the Koktuli River which  are important fish habitats. The site sits at the headwaters of two major Bristol Bay drainages: the Nushagak and the Kvichak. Those in opposition say that the project poses a large threat to the region’s water and salmon. This proposal has become a major political issue in Alaska, pitting pro-mining forces against local native villages and commercial and sport fishermen.

The Pebble Limited Partnership (PLP) announced earlier this year that it projects to invest approximately $73 million in Alaska’s Pebble Project. The company also stated in a press release that the 2010 work program will continue the company’s community investment initiatives, including funding and support for the Pebble Fund. As of February, the Pebble Fund had awarded $1.6 million capital for 51 projects through 35 qualified organizations in Southwest Alaska. According to Anchorage Daily News, Govenor Sean Parnell is requesting that the state have the best information available as it evaluates the potential effects of developing a copper-and-gold prospect at Bristol Bay, which is  home to a premier commercial sockeye salmon fishery.

Gov. Parnell, however, stopped short of endorsing the third-party review that two lawmakers have requested, saying the permitting process is meant to elicit “the best data on all sides.”

Earlier this year, the Board of Fisheries asked the Legislature to study permitting standards and environmental safeguards, and take any steps deemed necessary to protect fish and game habitat in the area.