Northern Dynasty Finalizes Right-of-Way Agreement for Pebble Project, Alaska
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Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd. said the Pebble Limited Partnership has finalized a Right-of-Way agreement with Alaska Peninsula Corporation (APC), securing the right to use defined portions of APC lands for the construction and operation of transportation infrastructure associated with the Pebble Project.
The Pebble Partnership is wholly owned by Northern Dynasty and proponent of southwest Alaska’s Pebble Project. APC is an Alaska Native village corporation with extensive land holdings proximal to the Pebble site, and more than 900 shareholders – many of whom live in the nearby villages of Newhalen and Kokhanok.
“Today’s agreement not only secures access to the Pebble Project site for construction and operation of the proposed mine. It also represents a significant milestone in the developing relationship between Pebble and the Alaska Native people of the region,” said Northern Dynasty president and CEO Ron Thiessen.
“We have always said Pebble must be developed in partnership with the local people and institutions of southwest Alaska. We have more work to do in that regard, but a Right-of-Way agreement with one of the largest Alaska Native landowners in the region goes a long way to bringing our commitment to life,” added Thiessen.
The APC lands addressed in the Right-of-Way agreement mirror the transportation corridor identified in PLP’s project description, as submitted to the US Army Corps of Engineers late last year to initiate the federal environmental impact statement (EIS) permitting process. It includes land south of Lake Iliamna to link a port site on Cook Inlet to a ferry landing site west of the APC village of Kohkanok, as well as land north of Lake Iliamna to link a ferry landing site west of the APC village of Newhalen to the site of the proposed Pebble mine.
PLP transportation infrastructure is expected to benefit APC, its shareholders, and villages through access to lower cost power, equipment and supplies, as well as enhanced economic activity in the region. Spur roads connecting to the villages of Newhalen and Kokhanok will allow local residents to access jobs at the Pebble mine site, port site and ferry landing sites.
“Among our leading priorities as an Alaska Native corporation is to manage and develop our lands responsibly, in a manner that creates employment opportunities for our shareholders but also respects our subsistence values and culture. That’s exactly what this deal represents for APC, as well as securing us an important seat at the table as the Pebble Project advances,” said Brad Angasan, APC vice president of corporate affairs.
To secure its right to use defined portions of APC land for the construction and operation of transportation infrastructure, PLP will make annual toll payments to APC, and pay other fees prior to and during project construction and operation. In addition, APC will be granted ‘Preferred Contractor’ status at Pebble, which provides a preferential opportunity to bid on Pebble-related contracts located on APC lands.
Finally, the two parties have agreed to negotiate a profit sharing agreement that will ensure APC and its shareholders benefit directly from the profits generated by mining activity in the region.
“APC has been an important stakeholder and business partner in the Pebble enterprise for some time, and we’re pleased to formalize that partnership today,. We expect to secure additional mutually beneficial partnership agreements with other local and Alaska Native institutions as the project moves forward,” said Thiessen.
About Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd.
Northern Dynasty is a mineral exploration and development company based in Vancouver, Canada. Northern Dynasty’s principal asset, owned through its wholly-owned Alaska-based US subsidiary Pebble Limited Partnership, is a 100 percent interest in a contiguous block of 2,402 mineral claims in southwest Alaska, including the Pebble deposit. The Pebble Partnership is the proponent of the Pebble Project, an initiative to develop one of the world’s most important mineral resources.
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