Removing Mountains for Diamonds

[James Ivan Kingsley]

“Removing Mountains for Diamonds”

by

Gloria Lewenski

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A traditionally published author named Gloria Lewenski penned this editorial on diamond mining industry in Alaska. I haven't read that much on diamond mining. I did see the movie “Blood Diamond” because of Leonardo DiCaprio's Oscar nomination. Wonderful piece of fiction, though a far-fetched premise. Besides, I would sooner have a new diamond ring then I would converse with unpublishable writer in Africa. My apologies...would you rather read something to the effect of “keep trying and never give up your dreams?”

James Ivan Kingsley

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Realizing a considerable profit for two gigantic industries, Northern Dynasties; not to be confused with the now non-existent Chinese dynasties; which didn’t have diamonds; reached an agreement with Anglo-American; which does have diamonds. A limited time fifty-fifty partnership would give the two companies equal rights to pursue these diamonds along with copper, gold and molybdenum, which isn’t quite as exciting as diamonds, but they might as well dig it up while it’s there. By staging a cash investment of US $1.425 billion, they plan to impress the dirt poor Alaskan people in the Bristol Bay and filthy rich legislators into dreaming of greater wealth than eating salmon and tinkering with oil dividends. If you’re going to stage an investment, you might as well shoot for the sky.


Called the Pebble project as it means removing all the pebbles from a mountain, Northern Dynasty and Anglo-American will then dig an open pit of 4.1 billion tonne of copper, gold, molybdenum and all that other rubbish from the west side of the mountain and 3.4 billion tonne from the east side so they can get at the diamonds. Anglo’s staged investment will wave US $125 million dollars in front of the government for a pre-feasability study in 2008 and US $325 in 2011 for a feasability study, which they have every confidence will not be turned down as they plan to commence tearing down the mountain by year 2011. However, Northern Dynasty is being cautious. It will access its fifty percent of any project debt financing when a production decision is made. Better to with hold your money until you’re sure the inhabitants will let you dig up their mountain. Of course $500 million in staged money is a little hard to ignore.


Over the next six months the partnership will put a management and operating team in place of the Alaskan based operating team; it’s better to have no local people in the top positions; guided by a board of directors with equal members from Northern Dynasty and Anglo-American so that normal operations may continue. This will be a great relief to them because some of the locals may still want salmon.


Cynthia Carroll, CEO of Anglo-American said, “the operation allows Anglo American a unique opportunity to be involved in a very long life, low operating cost mine.” Gotta hand it to those Anglos; staging one and a half billion dollars, digging an open pit to remove 8 billion tonne of minerals (and diamonds) and keeping the operating costs low.


Alaska’s environmental standards and permitting requirements are among the most stringent in the world, but Northern Dynasty already has experience with Alaskan mining and know which legislators to bribe to ensure that the project develops in a way that it covers any reports of disruption to the environment or the traditional ways of life. Anglo-American was proud to say that as the largest mining operation in the world, with operations in forty five countries, including South America and Africa where they found lots of diamonds, it has a great deal of International experience in exploiting people and keeping their operating costs low. They don’t feel the people should be concerned about losing their salmon as it will be quite a few years yet before the mercury poisoning from open pit mining will pollute the Bristol Bay waters, and what would you rather wear anyway; a diamond or a fish?




A traditionally published author named Gloria Lewenski penned this editorial on diamond mining industry in Alaska. I haven't read that much on diamond mining. I did see the movie “Blood Diamond” because of Leonardo DiCaprio's Oscar nomination. Wonderful piece of fiction, though a far-fetched premise. Besides, I would sooner have a new diamond ring then I would converse with unpublishable writer in Africa. My apologies...would you rather read something to the effect of “keep trying and never give up your dreams?”