ANCHORAGE, ALASKA-Judge Eric Aarseth, of the Superior Court in Anchorage, ruled on Monday, on a 2009 case, that the State of Alaska was not required to give public notice before issuing exploratory permits for the Pebble project site, nor was it required to study the potential impacts of the activities at that site.

Judge Aarseth said that the plaintiffs, Nunamta Aulukestai and several other individuals, failed to prove their case. In a 150+ page opinion, he stated that based on evidence, that activities at the site during exploration, “did not cause any significant impact or long-term harm to concurrent uses.”

Nunamta Aulukestai stated in their case that the state had violated due process by not providing meaningful public notice that permits were under consideration, and that no advance study of the impacts of exploration were done prior to activities in the region.

Pebble mine states that the company will “continue conducting a careful, responsible study program as we proceed to design a project that will create enormous opportunity for Alaskans, especially for the residents of Southwest Alaska.”

Nunamta Aulukestai, is a coalition of nine Bristol Bay Alaska Native Village Corporations. Those Corporations are Levelock, Ekwok, Koliganek, New Stuyahok, Clark’s Point, Aleknagik, Togiak, Manokotak and Dillingham. The coalition is considering an appeal to the Alaska Supreme Court.