April 24, 2004
Saturday

Juneau, AK - Alaska Governor Frank Murkowski sent a letter Friday to the board of directors of the Northern Alaska Environmental Center in Fairbanks, offering the assistance of top administration officials to resolve the impasse created by the Center's challenge of the NPDES permit for the Pogo mine.

"Because of the potentially severe social impacts associated with the Pogo mine permit appeal on the Delta Junction and Fairbanks regions and the importance of resolving this impasse as quickly as possible, I am offering the services of my office and senior staff to assist you and Teck Cominco in the resolution of the current crisis," Murkowski wrote in the letter.

The letter offers the services of Chief of Staff Jim Clark, Attorney General Gregg Renkes, DNR Commissioner Tom Irwin, and DEC Commissioner Ernesta Ballard.

"This project is very important to Interior Alaska, and we want to do everything we can to make sure it gets back on track as soon as possible," Murkowski said. "We have approximately 300 workers who are constructing the road and camp for the mine, who will be looking for other employment if the Center does not withdraw its appeal. Looking beyond Pogo, we are also concerned about the implications this situation has for other mining projects under consideration, such as Donlin Creek, the Kensington, and Pebble Copper."

Murkowski said he hopes to have a response from the Northern Alaska Environmental Center within a few days.

Related Web Site:

Northern Alaska Environmental Center

Source of News Release:

Office of the Governor
Web Site

 

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