Others disagree and expect a long legal battle if the measure becomes law.
Shively, the chief executive of Pebble Partnership, the consortium of Canadian and British companies that have already spent more than US$300 million exploring the mine site, was hired this spring in part to counter the idea that Pebble Mine would mostly benefit foreign investors with little interest in the state’s economic or environmental health.
“I certainly don’t want my legacy to be that we destroyed a fishery or part of a fishery,” said Shively, who first came to the state in the 1960s as an advocate for Alaska Natives, and has since served in a variety of roles, including with a powerful Alaska Native corporation and as a vice president for the cruise line Holland America. “But if we can do it correctly, I’d love to see it done, because I think the benefits are huge.”
The mine site, roughly 10km2 miles in size, sits in a remote valley northeast of Dillingham and about 10 minutes by helicopter from the small Alaska Native village of Iliamna. An active volcano spews steam not far away — yet another risk, as are earthquakes, say the mine’s opponents.
Iliamna has been transformed into a base camp for workers doing the exploratory drilling, environmental testing and other advance work on the mine. Unlike many other bush villages, Iliamna, reachable only by plane or snowmobile, now has a smoothly paved landing strip, fresh asphalt on its few roads and a new post office and medical clinic.
Some Alaska Natives have found work as housekeepers or food-service workers in the mess hall that serves three meals a day. A few work at the mine site itself. Average salaries for mine workers in Alaska are around US$70,000, and a handful of shiny new pickups and all-terrain vehicles now zoom through town. The pavement ends quickly, for the moment.
“There’s more cars here now than you can shake a stick at,” said Mickey Dungate, 84, who with his wife, Kay, runs a summer fishing lodge. This summer, Dungate leased one of his buildings to mine employees.
RSS