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The Pebble deposit, a massive concentration of gold and copper in southwest Alaska, was discovered by geologists in 1987. In the intervening decades, various companies have made bids to exploit the valuable metals, with the most recent effort—by the Pebble Limited Partnership—beginning in earnest in 2007. The mine has been protested, opposed in court, blocked by the Obama administration, and criticized by Donald Trump, Jr. The venture’s owners have changed multiple times, with Rio Tinto and Anglo American pulling out to leave Vancouver-based Northern Dynasty Minerals the mine’s sole owner. This is all to say that when journalist Ashley Braun waded into the fray in May 2019 with a story about how the mine would affect the survival of salmon in the Bristol Bay watershed, the controversial story of the Pebble Mine had been running for a long time.
But over the past year and a half, Ashley has carved out a niche examining the science that is at the core of this debate, delving into the intricacies of salmon biology in the Koktuli River and the minutiae of the Pebble Limited Partnership’s (ultimately flawed) proposals to mitigate the damage it would cause to this largely undeveloped slice of the world.
Yesterday, Ashley joined me in a webinar. In a brisk half hour, we talked about how she followed this story—from navigating dense documents, to finding and protecting sources, to how she managed to dodge red tape to find experts willing to speak candidly. Though the discussion was aimed at journalists, I think many people will appreciate this inside look at how our stories come together.
The whole thing was recorded and is available to watch on YouTube. (Keep an eye out for my favorite part—when Ashley struggles to keep a straight face as my cat Dottie decides to join the party.)
Colin Schultz
News editor |
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