Pebble opponents score court victory

A Superior Court judge has cleared the way for a legal fight over striturador de cono a velocidad funcionatate-issued permits for a huge copper and gold mine near some of the world's most productive wild salmon streams. The fight is being waged by eight Bristol Bay village corporations, former first lady Bella Hammond, former state constitutional delegate Victor Fisher and two Bristol Bay residents over Pebble Mine, 200 miles southwest of Anchorage.

They contend that Pebble Mine exploration permits violate the Alaska Constitution. The lawsuit says that the state issued the land and water use permits without looking at the potential harm to resources. Judge Eric A. Aarseth said in his decision Monday that there was enough evidence to allow the constitutional issues concerning the permits to be heard at a Dec. 6 trial. "The state has issued permits behind closed doors without even looking at the harms to public resources," said plaintiffs' lawyer Nancy Wainwright. Mike Heatwole, spokesman for the Pebble Limited Partnership, said work will continue at the mine. "We are still reviewing the judge's decision and will continue to work on this through the court," he said Tuesday...