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Vol. 49, Issue 226
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W of 1 inner Awa 0* 201 Exc rds f 8 o e Rep llence r in or ti * Ala n ska g ! Pres s
P E N I N S U L A
Thursday, June 27, 2019 Kenai Peninsula, Alaska
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Deadline for Pebble draft EIS comments nears
In the news Medical examiner identifies body pulled from Kuskokwim River ANCHORAGE — The state medical examiner has identified a body pulled from the Kuskokwim River near the village of Napakiak. Alaska State Troopers say the dead man was 28-year-old Stacey Hoagland Jr. of Akiak. Hoagland’s boat capsized in September and he could not be found. Boaters spotted the body June 19 and summoned troopers from Bethel.
Akiak residents consider staying in homes threatened by erosion AKIAK — Alaska residents living near a riverbank threatened by erosion are facing a choice of whether to move, and some want to remain in their homes, a report said. Six houses in Akiak are within 100 feet of the Kuskokwim River, with one home 20 feet from the water, KYUK-AM reported Tuesday. Erosion caused a one-mile section of the embankment to fall into the river last month and the community of about 350 people northeast of Bethel is attempting to find relocation money. Akiak officials are working on a hazard mitigation plan in the hopes it will become eligible for state disaster funding this year. Peter Gilila said moving his house will cost almost $100,000, while adding utilities will compound the cost. Gilila owns one of the homes closest to the river and said he will remain as long as there is running water, because the river water is contaminated. He is prepared to rebuild rather than relocate. “Because I can rebuild. And that’s what we do, that’s what we’ve always been doing: rebuilding. This is not a new situation for me,” Gilila said. City Administrator David Gilila, Peter’s brother, has been working to secure funds to move the homes closest to the river. — Associated Press
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Partly sunny
Staff report Homer News
Cars are backed up along the Sterling Highway on Wednesday. The highway was closed for several hours Wednesday morning due to the Swan Lake Fire burning north of the highway. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Swan Lake Fire snarls traffic By Brian Mazurek Peninsula Clarion
Significant delays should be expected for the next few days on the Sterling Highway as smoke from the Swan Lake Fire
has led to severely reduced visibility from Mile 58 to Mile 75.5 just east of Sterling. Wednesday morning, traffic came to a standstill from approximately 5:30 to 8:45 a.m. because visibility
had been reduced to zero, and normal flagging and pilot car operations were put on hold until visibility improved. Shannon McCarthy, administrative operations manager with the Department of Transporta-
tion, said to be prepared for delays of up to 90 minutes — especially between midnight and 8 a.m. — and recommended bringing extra food, water and fuel if planning to travel along this portion of the highway.
See FIRE, page A3
The deadline to submit comments on the draft environmental impact statement (EIS) for the proposed Pebble Mine project is Monday, July 1. The draft EIS details how aspects of the project subject to permitting by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are proposed to be executed. Download and read the draft EIS at pebbleprojecteis.com/documents/eis. The Corps wwwwill take comments until July 1, and use them to incorporate changes into a final EIS slated to be released in early 2020. Following the final EIS the Corps will make a Record of Decision on the Pebble Limited Partnership application for the project. This is scheduled to be released also in 2020. The Corps can either issue the permit, issue it along with See EIS, page A3
‘Pebble never. Bristol Bay forever’ Community members rally against mining project By VICTORIA PETERSEN Peninsula Clarion
About 30 people gathered in front of U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s Soldotna office Wednesday to oppose the proposed Pebble Mine project. Georgie Heaverley is a second-generation Cook Inlet commercial fisherman and a community organizer for Cook Inletkeeper. She said the rally was meant to send a message to Murkowski, urging her to “stand with Alaskans and oppose this project.” “We’ve opposed this project for years and years,” Heaverley said. “Though we’re little voices — we stand together. But we cannot put an end to this broken fast-track process alone. We need Sen. Murkowski’s help to do so.” Demonstrators held signs along the Sterling
Residents line the Sterling Highway in front of Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s office to oppose Pebble Mine project on Wednesday, in Soldotna. (Photo by Victoria Petersen/Peninsula Clarion)
The rally was one of Highway saying things like, “Pebble doesn’t rock” six being held this week in and “Pebble never. Bristol front of Murkowski’s offices across the state. The Bay forever.”
rallies ask for Murkowski’s “oversight and action in calling for a suspension of the NEPA process for
Pebble,” a Tuesday press release from Cook Inletkeeper, who helped organize the local event, said. “It’s the last week for the public comment period and we’re looking to our leaders and decision-makers to take a harder stand with Alaskans and call out the flaws of this process,” Satchel Pondolfino, who helped organize the event for Cook Inletkeeper, said. The Pebble Mine project — first proposed by Cominco Limited in the late 1980s and now being proposed by Pebble Limited Partnership — seeks to develop a deposit containing billions of tons of copper, gold and molybdenum on state land in Southwest Alaska, about 100 miles from Bristol Bay, as the crow flies. With a projected lifespan of 20 years, the project is expected to created 1,500 to 2,000 total jobs, according to the See MINE, page A2
AG: Dunleavy can seek court order in session dispute By Becky Bohrer Associated Press
JUNEAU — Alaska’s attorney general said Wednesday that Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy has the authority to call a special session where he wishes and the op-
tion of seeking a court order to compel rebellious lawmakers to convene in his chosen location of Wasilla. How far Dunleavy plans to push the issue — his latest dustup with lawmakers — remains to be seen. Attorney General Kevin
Clarkson’s position is at odds with that of the Legislature’s top legal adviser, Megan Wallace, who in a memo said a governor does not have the constitutional power to compel the Legislature to meet in a location other than the capital of Juneau. Clarkson
told reporters the writers of the state’s constitution, if they wished, could have limited where a special session could be held but didn’t. The constitution permits the governor to call a special session and for lawmakers to call themselves into one
if they can muster sufficient votes. Dunleavy called for a special session, starting July 8, in Wasilla, where he’s from. But House Speaker Bryce Edgmon and Senate President Cathy Giessel this week said See AG, page A3
Juneau assembly votes to give district new Native name JUNEAU (AP) — The city assembly in Alaska’s capital has voted to rename a district with a traditional Native name, a report said. The City and Borough of Juneau Assembly voted Monday to change the Willoughby District to the
Aakw Kwaan Village District, The Juneau Empire reported Tuesday. The area was home to a neighbourhood known as the “Indian Village” and became a traditional summer village site for Alaska Native people.
Renaming the downtown district bordering Willoughby Avenue acknowledges the Aakw Kwaan people settled the area, officials said. Willoughby Avenue will not be renamed as part of the resolution.
The new name becomes effective immediately following adoption of the resolution, officials said. Aakw Kwaan spokesperson Frances Houston attended the meeting Monday and said Alaska Natives are pleased with the change.
“I discussed it with other Aakw Kwaan, and they voted on it, and they’re happy,” she said. Residents may need time to adapt to the change, but the city will begin using the new name in ongoing projSee NAME, page A3