Army Corps launches Pebble Mine regulatory process

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has kicked off a 30-day “scoping” process for the Pebble project Environmental Impact Statement, with the rst meeting set for April 9 in Naknek. Nine community meetings are planned, concluding in Anchorage April 19. The end of the scoping is set for April 30. Alaska corps officials said they have received no word from Washington, D.C. about an accelerated EIS schedule, which is being done by some federal agencies like the Department of the Interior with ANWR. However, the of cial schedule published by the corps has the draft Environmental Impact Statement done in early 2019 (basically one year in preparation) and the nal EIS late that year and with a Record of Decision, which triggers approval of federal permits, in 2020. Those are estimates, of course, because many factors, like litigation, could delay things. Pebble’s permit application has been available since Jan. 5 on the Corps’ Alaska website.

The unknown for Pebble, besides the outcome of litigation, is the state of Alaska’s position. Gov. Bill Walker has said he has issues with the project (and it’s an election year) and so far Pebble has not led for any state permits except for a renewed miscellaneous land use permit, which gives the company access to the site for eld work (Pebble plans drilling this summer). The land-use permit is usually routine but the state is likely to attach special provisions to this one. Another wrinkle is that Pebble’s new project involves a different route for a road to its Cook Inlet port as well as a different port site. Previously the company had proposed upgrading an existing road. The new route could add complications because it will fuel demands for the state to redo its long-existing management plan for state lands in the region. That plan is favorable to mining.