Rio Tinto Employee Resigns from the Northern Dynasty Minerals Board

A member of the Northern Dynasty Minerals Board of Directors has resigned. Stephen Scott is the General Manager with Rio Tinto’s copper division and he was appointed to the Northern Dynasty Minerals Board in 2007. In a press release, Northern Dynasty Minerals confirmed that the appointment was made in conjunction with an investment in the company made by Rio Tinto. Rio Tinto is a giant mining company that currently holds a 19-percent interest in Northern Dynasty Minerals. Rio Tinto has come under pressure recently to divest itself of its interest in Northern Dynasty due to the controversial nature of the proposed Pebble Mine. Rio Tinto announced last year that they are undertaking a review of the investment in Northern Dynasty. It’s unclear if the resignation of Stephen Scott from the Northern Dynasty Minerals Board of Directors is a precursor for Rio Tinto making an announcement about divesting itself of the 19-percent interest in Northern Dynasty. In a prepared statement Ronald Thiessen, President and CEO of Northern Dynasty said,

Northern Dynasty Minerals is the sole partner left in the Pebble Limited Partnership that was formed to move the proposed Pebble Mine through permitting and development.