January 02, 2014
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Photo by Diana Haecker CHRISTMAS BIRDS— To the delight of Nome Christmas Bird Count participants, a flock of female common eiders was seen foraging at an open lead near East Beach last week. C VOLUME CXIV NO. 1 January 02, 2014 Graphite One exploring graphite deposit near Imruk Basin By Diana Haecker A Canadian based exploration company by the name of Graphite One Resources Inc. has been explor- ing a graphite deposit at the northern flank of the Kigluaik Mountain Range, near the Imruk Basin. According to the company’s Vice President of Exploration Dean Besserer, the project is still in the ex- ploration phase. Besserer said it’s too early to talk about the particulars of a mining plan or method when the Nugget file photo resource has yet to prove up. CONTENTIOUS FUEL DELIVERY— The Russian tanker Renda is This year, Besserer said in an pictured delivering fuel in mid-winter to Nome, January 2012. email correspondence with The Nome Nugget, the company initiated environmental monitoring in con- junction with recommendations from consultants and the Alaska Bonanza, Delta Dept. of Natural Resources Large Mine Permitting Team. Western ready to “At this point, the deposit is very large with respect to flake graphite (the biggest in North America in Source: Graphite One Resources cry “Uncle” fact),” wrote Besserer. “Until we GRAPHITE PROPERTY— The map shows the location of Graphite know the economics of the deposit By Sandra L. Medearis out the barge delivery. One’s property at the north slopes of the Kigluaik mountains near we won’t be able to determine the Imruk Basin. A high-stakes public relations and Further more, DW contends, they life of the mine. Should it get into business deal that brought fuel to tried to make amends by also seek- crush, grind and floatation process. sorted graphite that would be production it could be significant.” The process doesn’t use any chemi- shipped out by sea to purchasers, Nome in a Russian tanker and ing another tanker, but that Bonanza Besserer described that, in gen- caused one fuel distributor’s boss to jumped the gun with Vitus Marine. cals (such as cyanide) and the tail- preferably in the U.S. We likely eral, graphite operations are small ings come out as sand and are would need a small diesel power tender his resignation may be wind- Vitus Marine leased a Russian operations that mine seasonally. ing down after two years’ court fil- tanker with an ice-resistant hull, typically stored as dry stack. The “Usually the rock is mined and the product is palletized, wrapped, size continued on page 4 ings. loaded fuel in Asia and Dutch Har- graphite is liberated by a simple Bonanza Fuel, Inc., a Nome retail bor and headed through the ice be- fuel distributor, filed a court claim in hind USCG icebreaker Healy. early 2012 against Delta Western Local and national politicians as seeking $1.5 million for higher fuel well as USCG Commandant Adm. transportation costs after the marine Robert Papp applauded the delivery transport company failed to deliver as a means to demonstrate U.S. winter fuel in November 2011. Bo- Coast Guard’s need for more ice- nanza said DW, by standing them up breakers and an expanded USCG at the fuel docks, hiked Bonanza’s presence in Western Alaska waters. cost to top winter retail fuel supplies. Any agency that could hang a Bonanza had to retain Vitus Ma- business card on the event did, to rine of Anchorage to deliver the fuel take advantage of the ongoing media in a dramatic break through more banquet, including a drone developer than 300 miles of sea ice. from University of Alaska who sent On Dec. 26, Delta filed a notice in his craft aloft to assist the sophisti- U.S. District Court that a settlement cated military, federal and state had been reached with Bonanza sub- weather instruments in evaluating ject to completing additional docu- the ice cover. ments within 45 days. Terms of the Throughout the two-years since agreement are not yet available. Bonanza filed the case, Delta West- DW maintains that foul weather ern has maintained that a November Nov. 8-10 in 2011, followed by a storm and the Nome harbor’s freeze cold snap that froze sea-lanes, shut cut off the delivery. DW claimed that force majeure, an “act of God”, excused DW from the failure to deliver in early No- On the Web: vember, and while DW looked for www.nomenugget.net other means to keep its word, Bo- nanza went behind the company’s E-mail: back to make new arrangements [email protected] with Vitus Marine, Inc., an Anchor- age-based marine transport com- pany. Bonanza countered that DW re- Photo by Diana Haecker called a barge with Bonanza’s fuel MERRY CHRISTMAS— Second graders wished for more than their two front teeth for Christmas as the mid-cruise to make a more lucrative belted out Christmas carols during the annual Nome Elementary School Christmas program, held on Dec. continued on page 5 17 at the NES gym. See more photos on page 16. 2 THURSDAY, JANUARY 02, 2014 OPINION THE NOME NUGGET Letters Sound Off Dear Editor: long-term lease. The state requires need more fish and the Hobson Just received the Dec. 19th Nome that we have a long-term lease for Creek Hatchery can supply them. Alaska “fundamentally on wrong track” on rural law enforcement Bipartisan ILOC conference slams Parnell Administration record on law Nugget, so expect by now many expanded operations. We’ve wasted too much time talk- enforcement, tribal sovereignty folks in Nome had info on the “Look My parents, Tommy and Myrtle ing. at the Past” photo. This view of Johnson, were founding members of The Sitnasuak land committee By Zack Fields Marks Air Force Base (now the Nome Fishermen’s Association in will be meeting on our lease Janu- Communications Director Alaska Democratic Party Nome Airport) was taken by the Air 1993 shortly after the CDQ program ary 8, 2014 at 1 PM in the Sitnasuak Wednesday, December 4 in Anchorage the bipartisan Indian Law and Transport Command on 12/10, came along. We helped develop the boardroom on the second floor of Order Commission slammed the Parnell Administration’s record on rural law sometime during WW11. I believe salmon plan for this region. I am the SNC building. enforcement, saying that Alaska is “fundamentally on the wrong track.” The that the last remaining structure in now a board member following in I invite all concerned sharehold- ILOC recommended strengthening tribal sovereignty as a means to reduce vi- this photo was the “Old Birchwood my parents’ footsteps. ers to attend and voice your opin- olence in rural areas, but the Parnell Administration responded with a lengthy Hangar” that was demolished in the My mother was one of the five in- ions and hopefully their decision letter that said “we disagree with the means you suggest to accomplish that mid-1980s. Nome was the last stop corporators of Sitnasuak Native Cor- will be to the benefit of all. goal” of reducing violence. on the Russian Lend-Lease route, poration. I am a shareholder and so Jackie Johnson “We think Alaska is fundamentally on the wrong track with how it deals and from 1942 until Sept. 1945, are her grandchildren. She believed Nome, AK with Alaska Natives, with an issue so important as sovereignty and self-de- Russian pilots flew 7,983 P39 fight- in fishing. She held a Norton Sound termination,” said ILOC Chairman Troy Eid, a Republican and former United States Attorney appointed by George W. Bush. “I would hold my conserva- ers, A20 and B25 bombers, C47s, commercial salmon permit, which I “Between a rock and a hard spot” and other aircraft from Nome to inherited. She fished commercially It is not hard to compare some tive credentials to Attorney General Geraghty’s of the governor’ anytime,” Siberia. Great Photo! and for subsistence from Cape within our government these days to Eid said yesterday as he criticized the Parnell record. Joe Martin, Nome to Golovin Bay. “Ebenezer Scrooge”, or even “In- The Indian Law and Order Commission was established by Congress in Caroline, WI Since the early 1980s, our salmon spector Javert of Les Miserables?” 2010 with legislation supported by the Alaska delegation. In its recently-is- stocks haven’t been strong enough The problem, however, is that far sued report, ILOC said Alaska has the highest rates of domestic and sexual Dear Nome Nugget Editor for commercial fishing and barely too many of those who now lan- violence while tribal governments have the least ability to address those This is an open letter to Sitnasuak good enough for subsistence. A lot guish within politics have forgotten crimes locally. The Commission characterized the lack of tribal sovereignty shareholders asking for support for of families used to depend on sub- what it is like to do without even as “indefensibly expensive to all Alaskans in terms of the human and eco- the Hobson Creek Hatchery. The sistence fishing. In my life, I have common necessities, or to struggle nomic toll.” hatchery has been on SNC land seen it go from racks full of fish to ILOC head Troy Eid said that when the Commission visited Tanana, “A since 1999. It is a proven success. where the racks have rotted and continued on page 13 woman comes up to you in a room and says you know what Troy, every We are asking Sitnasuak for a fallen down through lack of use.