Alaska's Energy Desk

The CEO of the Pebble Limited Partnership and a prominent Pebble opponent debated a key point of contention about the proposed mine: its size.

The U.S. Interior Department is re-evaluating the management plan for the reserve, aiming to open up land that’s currently off-limits to oil leasing.

“There’s probably going to be a greater amount of uncertainty with some of the information that we’re able to provide, because it’s simply not going to be as precise as it used to be,” said wildlife biologist Todd Atwood. 

Typically, when a contaminated site is discovered it’s up to the landowner — or the person responsible for making the mess — to clean it up. But there are dozens of sites where this process has broken down.

“One year from now, we’ll know whether the community would like to own this device,” says IVC President AlexAnna Salmon. “If it really is going to prove itself to be an effective option for providing power.”

ConocoPhillips has announced it intends to buy 21,000 acres from Caelus Natural Resources, which includes the Nuna oil discovery.

In Western Alaska, accelerating erosion is forcing villages like Quinhagak to consider moving.

Harold Okitkun counted 18 dead seals north of Kotlik — a number he says he’s never seen or heard of other people in the village seeing.

“We don’t know if it’s lack of sea ice, or if there was a harmful algal bloom,” said Julie Speegle with NOAA Fisheries. “There’s quite a range of factors.”

“You’ll see the reindeer getting into these amazing poses,” said Jane Atkinson, owner of Running Reindeer Ranch. “And it’s like wow….  Look at this little yoga move that they do!”