JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — A company that wants to build a copper and gold mine near the headwaters of a major U.S. salmon fishery in southwest Alaska is not trying to buy support for the proposed Pebble Mine with its plans to pay residents in the region a dividend, a spokesperson said.
“Absolutely not,” said Pebble Limited Partnership spokesperson Mike Heatwole.
Critics see it differently, panning the move as a stunt to try to win or show public support as the company awaits a decision on a key permit.
Jeff Bringhurst, who manages a village farm in Igiugig and is a commercial fisherman, called the dividend a “dirty trick” and a “big juicy carrot” that is “going to tempt a lot of people to go against their beliefs on this mine. So, it’s despicable.”
Under the program announced this week, the Pebble Partnership said at least $3 million a year would be distributed once construction begins, with five people who sign up for the program by July 31 picked to receive an annual $1,000 until construction.
There is no anticipated date for construction to start. The company, owned by Canada-based Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd., currently is seeking a major permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The corps' final environmental review, an early but critical step in the process, is expected later this year. Pebble estimates the permitting process overall will take several years.
A message seeking comment on whether other mining companies have similar dividend programs was sent to the National Mining Association.
The proposed Pebble Mine, for years mired in controversy and litigation, has gotten new life under the Trump administration. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency last year withdrew restrictions on development that were proposed, but never...
