Grand Jury Investigation Related to Proposed Pebble Mine

The parent company of the proposed Pebble Mine says it is cooperating with a federal grand jury investigation, according to APM. The company says the case relates to conversations about the mine that were secretly recorded. But who is being investigated and for what alleged crime is not clear.

That seems to describe the so-called Pebble Tapes, undercover recordings produced last year by an environmental group. The group, called the Environmental Investigation Agency, had investigators call Northern Dynasty last year, posing as foreign investors.

In multiple recordings, then-CEO Tom Collier and Northern Dynasty president Ron Thiessen bragged about their close relationships to regulators and downplayed all hurdles to getting their permits. They also described plans for a much bigger mine than the one they are seeking permits for.