KDLG - Dillingham

The Pebble Limited Partnership is asking the state to renew the land use permit for its mineral claims northwest of Iliamna.

Pebble has no immediate plans for further exploration or ground-disturbing activities, the partnership said, but will continue to operate under “care and maintenance” status.

Work at the Pebble site has been almost entirely shut down since Northern Dynasty lost the financial backing of partner and mining company Anglo American in 2013.

Still, there are limited operations expected to continue that require a state permit.

“We operate under what’s called a Miscellaneous Land Use Permit, and our current permit expires at the end of this year,” Pebble spokesman Mike Heatwole said.

The company is seeking a renewal for two years on that permit. Heatwole said they have no plans at the moment to operate the Pebble project beyond what’s called “care and maintenance.”

“What that really means is that we’re just keeping an eye on things there, we have a few assets that are still on the ground, while we look to secure a long term partner,” he said. “It really means that we’re not doing any active drilling or other exploration at our claim block.”

But a new report paid for by the United Tribes of Bristol Bay suggests Pebble is not taking proper care of past their drilling and exploration sites.

David Chambers is a geophysicist and the executive director of the Center for Science and Public Participation.

Last August Chambers led a small team that helicoptered around the Pebble claims, visiting 107 out of an estimated 1355 well sites.

The team took pictures and collected water and soil samples.

Chambers identified three main problems: one, that mineralized drill cuttings have been left on the tundra; two, that some well casings have been left sticking above the surface; and three, that some drill holes were not back filled and are allowing water to flow out.

“So those are the main three areas,” Chambers said. “Then UTBB’s concern was just that DNR doesn’t require any reclamation bond to close these holes. And it’s not going to be terribly difficult to go out and clean these issues up, but logistically speaking it’s going to be very expensive.”

Chambers was particularly interested in the effect of the drill cuttings left on the surface, he said. Prior conversations with state and federal agencies has left him convinced that regulators don’t believe these acidic cuttings pose a problem.

“One of the things we were able to do out there was to sample these drill cuttings, and they are indeed acidic on the surface,” he said. “When they’re on the surface, as you can see from the pictures, things don’t want to grow on it. So I think it just calls for a policy change with management agencies that these cuttings have to be more carefully disposed than just dumping them out on the surface.”

In the six-page report, Chambers laid out his critiques and offers recommendations for better reclamation of Pebble’s past exploratory sites.

The report will be his comment to DNR concerning the renewal of Pebble’s land use permit.

“They’re not grossly polluting the environment out there, but I just don’t think it’s proper reclamation and closure and I would … you can make your own opinion about that. We have photos of all these issues out there. And I would just ask anybody to look at the photos and say, is this the way want exploration operations to leave these drill holes. I’m not satisfied with that personally. I think, personally and professionally, they can do a better job.”

For its part, Pebble said it does actively monitor the claims and makes improvements as needs be. PLP maintains a clean and compliant site, Heatwole said.

“I think the state regulators have that view as well,” he said. “This is arguably the most inspected, monitored mineral exploration site in Alaska. From our last field inspection which happened in July of this year, DNR said that they found that the ‘operator identifies and addresses maintenance and repair issues on site, and is consistent to industry best management practices.’ We run a very tight ship, we’re very proud of the work we do there.”

The independent study is available online through the United Tribes of Bristol Bay website. A

public comment period with the state’s Department of Natural Resources is open through Nov. 30.

There is a new bipartisan majority caucus in Alaska’s House of Representatives, and with it new leadership.

Rep. Bryce Edgmon of Dillingham has been tapped to be House Speaker, following his re-election Tuesday.

Edgmon will take the gavel from Republican Mike Chenault, a Republican from Nikiski.

The announcement was made Wednesday afternoon at a news conference in Anchorage, following weeks of speculation. The previous Republican-led majority caucus lost two members when Benjamin Nageak of Barrow and Bob Herron of Bethel were unseated by Democratic primary challengers who pledged not to caucus with the Republican-led majority caucus. On Tuesday, Republicans Liz Vasquez and Cathy Munoz lost their seats to Democrats.

The 22 members of the new Majority caucus are mostly Democrats, with three Republicans, and two independents.

The caucus will focus on addressing Alaska’s fiscal crisis, Edgmon said.

“The severe drop in oil revenues, coupled with legislative inaction, has contributed to the current recession that threatens our economy, the livelihoods of thousands of Alaskans, and essential services like education and public safety,” Speaker-elect Edgmon said. “The members of the new House Majority are dedicated to passing a legislative agenda that addresses the fiscal crisis and the root causes of the crisis.”

The rest of the leadership team includes Rep. Chris Tuck (D-Anchorage), who will serve as Majority Leader. Rep. Gabrielle LeDoux (R-Anchorage) will chair the Rules Committee. Rep. Louise Stutes (R-Kodiak) will be Majority Whip, and Reps. Neil Foster (D-Nome) and Paul Seaton (R-Homer) will be co-chairs of the Finance Committee.

Members formed their team during meetings Wednesday in Anchorage, following Tuesday’s election.

The 30th Alaska Legislature will convene January 17, 2017, in Juneau.

An Aleknagik man will serve three years of jail time after pleading guilty in the death of his wife, who was stabbed multiple times in February.

Robin Chythlook, 52, was sentenced to 10 years of jail time with seven years suspended, meaning he will serve three years.

Chythlook had originally been charged with attempted first-degree murder, but instead pleaded guilty Thursday to a reduced charge of first-degree assault with a deadly weapon.

Chythlook allegedly stabbed his wife more than two dozen times at their home, then threatened law enforcement when they responded to the scene.

Assistant district attorney Pamela Dale agreed to settle with a guilty plea to the reduced charge, saying proving attempted murder would have been difficult to do.

“I would’ve had to prove that he intended to kill her,” Dale said after the hearing. “He did stab her a great number of times, he stabbed her 28 times. What was unusual is that it wasn’t the sort of stabbing through the body that I would’ve been able to argue to the jury was a substantial step towards trying to kill her.”

Dale described the wounds as closer to a half-inch-deep punctures.

Investigating state troopers found Chythlook had used two knives in the brutal, unprovoked attack.

Chythlook’s sentence fits the guidelines adopted under the state’s recent criminal justice reform, known as Senate Bill 91, Dale said.

“When this case came in before SB 91 he would’ve been presumptive seven to 11 years. After the change in SB 91 he was presumptive five to nine years. And so the 10 with the seven (suspended) is within the sentencing range,” Dale said.

Chytlook will be on probation for three years after his release, and will be required to attend counseling for alcoholism and domestic violence.

He has been in custody since his February arrest.

After six days, the body of missing pilot David McRae, 55, and his plane have finally been found in Lake Clark National Park.

Lt. Col. Candis Olsmstead directs public affairs for the Alaska National Guard said weather cleared enough today to get close to the area.

The Civil Air Patrol helped with the search and ultimately found the site.

Longtime bush pilot McRae and his plane, a single engine Pilatus Porter, were found at an altitude of 6,500 feet, but authorities have not described the crash site or a possible cause.

He had been flying Friday evening from Lake Hood to Lake Clark through Merrill Pass when his plane went down.

Olmstead said pararescue crews got down to the wreck site Thursday.

“They hoisted down to the site and they were able to find Mr. McRae and they did recover his body and transported and released him to the state medical examiner,” Olmstead said.

Weather had hampered search efforts since last weekend.

His next of kin have been notified.

A 31-year-old man charged with dealing drugs from his set net fishing site in Naknek this summer remains in custody.

Nathan Wegner and his attorney asked for a reconsideration of his bail terms, currently set at $20,000 and a third-party custodian.

His attorney Jon Bucholdt asked Judge Greg Miller to reduce the dollar amount and let his client seek treatment at the Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center, or SAARC, while his case is litigated.

“The underlying idea of SAARC is good for him,” Bucholdt said. “His problem I guess is booze, more than drugs, and that’s what SAARC is aimed at. So it’s certainly a better choice than jail for him, and if we can get into SAARC, everybody wins.”

Not so, said the state’s prosecutor, Assistant District Attorney Alison O’Leary. The Salvation Army center is not equipped to handle monitoring someone accused of dealing drugs, she said.

“Mr. Wegner was found in King Salmon with 23 grams of heroin on him, and $6,700 in cash,” she told Judge Miller. “He was staying in a cabin that had 97 syringes in the trash, as well as more out behind the cabin. And then when he was arrested, the next day he was taken to the clinic for heroin withdraw. And that’s when he told the chief of police that he needed to go vomit outside, and instead ran away and stole an ATV.”

Judge Miller sided with the state, and kept Wegner’s bail terms in place.

He’ll need to post $20,000 and find a third-party custodian to be released.

Wegner is indicted on charges of a class B felony manufacture or delivery involving a controlled substance in the second degree, and resisting arrest, which is a class A misdemeanor, in connection with allegations he was dealing drugs from his set net cabin.

He also faces charges stemming from when he briefly escaped custody after his arrest.

His alleged co-conspirator Brandi Nikole Smith, 27, still faces similar drug charges, but is out of custody on less than $1,000 bail.

The state has dropped its case against a Dillingham woman accused of forging her grandmother’s checks after restitution has been paid.

In May, police charged Brianna Brandon, 26, with stealing more than $3,500 after forging 16 checks over a two-month period.

In October, the state dropped those charges after restitution was paid and it became clear Brandon may not have been responsible for the theft.

“When I first contacted the victim she told me that she was confident that Ms. Brandon’s boyfriend was the real culprit,” said Assistant District Attorney Pamela Dale. “As it turned out that was the case. Ms. Brandon did forge and cash the first check but the other 15 checks she had little or nothing to do with.”

Dale said in the “interest of justice,” she state gave Brandon the opportunity to pay the stolen money back and then have the charges dismissed.

“The victim received a cashier’s check for the full restitution, which was approximately $3,400,” Dale said.