More news along those lines.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/rio-tinto-undertake-strategic-review-123700590.html

If Rio Tinto leaves it's 19+ percent interest in the Pebble Limited Partnership (PLP), as they are hinting they will, Northern Dynasty will have 100 percent control over the JV claims. So, Anglo and Rio will have washed their hands, not seeing any near or mid-term benefits for staying in Alaska.

This will damage all future exploration and development projects here for some time to come. Big Chuck may not have the same drainiage problems as Pebble, but the preception that Alaska is no longer mining friendly will be firmly in place, effecting the whole state, and probablhy with some spillover eleswhere as the anti-mining crowd will feel embolded.

Dynasty does not have the resouces to go it alone at Pebble, and they certainly will not be able to JV and advance work at Big Chunk in this environment. So, if Rio leaves PLP, I fear that major exploration and development projects in this area may be dead for many, many years. What a very sad story, a testiment to how effective enviroNazi's have become.

Maybe, just maybe this may put more pressure on majors to expand or acquire interests in Arizona. ...remains to be seen, but will take time.

AIMHO