Alaska Mine CEO Resigns After Secret Recordings

Tom Collier, CEO of the Pebble Ltd Partnership, the company behind a controversial mining project at the headwaters of Bristol Bay, Alaska, resigned this week following the release of secretly recorded conversations in which Collier believed he was talking to potential investors, Alaska Public Media reports.

Parent company Northern Dynasty says Collier resigned because of his comments about Alaska’s elected leaders and federal regulators. The calls were secretly recorded by an environmental group who had men working undercover, posing as potential investors. 

In the recordings, Collier and CEO of the parent company Northern Dynasty Ron Thiessen spoke of their plans to operate the mine for 180 years longer than the 20-year plan proposed, and boasted of their ties to Republican politicians.

Governor Dunleavy denies having served as Pebble’s messenger to the White House, while Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski is furious, according to APM.

Alaskan Senators Dan Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski say they stand by their statements last month that the mine, as proposed, should not get a federal permit.