$91 million work program underway to prepare Pebble Project for permitting in 2012

VANCOUVER, May 2 /CNW/ --
VANCOUVER, May 2 /CNW/ - Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd. ('Northern
Dynasty' or the 'Company') (TSX: NDM) (NYSE Amex: NAK) announces that
the Pebble Limited Partnership (the 'Pebble Partnership' or 'PLP')
Board of Directors has approved program expenditures of US $91 million
in 2011, with the objective of completing a Prefeasibility Study for
the Pebble Project in 2012, and thereafter initiate permitting under
the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

'Upon reaching commercial production, Pebble would become one of the
world's leading producers of copper, gold and molybdenum as well as a
tremendous driver of economic wealth and opportunity in Alaska and the
United States,' said Northern Dynasty President and CEO Ron Thiessen.

'Given its national and global importance, the Pebble Partnership has
been very deliberate, methodical and patient in designing a project
that will meet and exceed the exacting environmental regulations and
permitting requirements in Alaska, while delivering superior returns
for shareholders. I'm pleased to report that this project design
process is nearing important milestones and that PLP intends to enter
the permitting phase towards the end of 2012. '

In February 2011, Northern Dynasty released a positive Preliminary
Assessment for the Pebble Copper-Gold-Molybdenum Project in southwest
Alaska, completed by Wardrop, a Tetra Tech Company (see Northern
Dynasty press release dated February 23, 2011). The Preliminary
Assessment confirms Pebble to be a technically and economically robust
project with the potential to produce 53 billion lb copper, 50 million
oz gold and 2.8 billion lb molybdenum over 78 years, while developing
just 55% of the known mineral resource. A complete copy of the
Preliminary Assessment Technical Report can be found at www.northerndynasty.com or on the Company's profile at www.sedar.com.

Activities to be undertaken at the Pebble Project in 2011 include:

    --  engineering to complete a Prefeasibility Study (PFS) project
        design in 2012;

    --  environmental studies to support PFS engineering, finalize an
        Environmental Baseline Document in preparation for project
        permitting, develop a mine closure and reclamation plan,
        prepare a full suite of environmental and social management
        plans, and continue environmental monitoring studies in key
        areas;

    --  site investigations, including 45,000 feet of drilling to
        support PFS engineering, as well as a geotechnical drill
        program and support for environmental and public affairs
        initiatives; and,

    --  stakeholder engagement and public affairs programming,
        including workforce and business development, local community
        relations, public education and community investment.

Since the Pebble Partnership was established in 2007, Anglo American has
invested approximately US $320 million to advance engineering,
environmental and socioeconomic studies toward the completion of a
Prefeasibility Study for the Pebble Project. Budgeted spending in 2011
will increase Anglo American's total investment in the Pebble Project
to more than US $410 million.

Prior to completion of a Prefeasibility Study, the Pebble Partnership is
expected to undertake a broad-based public consultation program to
update Alaskans and other project stakeholders on the status of project
planning, including environmental safeguards, economic benefits and
partnership opportunities. This public consultation initiative is
scheduled to begin this year.

'The Pebble Partnership has made a public commitment to consult the
people of Bristol Bay and Alaska before permitting is initiated as part
of the process of developing a proposed mine plan for Pebble,' Thiessen
confirmed. 'That important work will begin this year, along with
efforts to advance partnership agreements with Alaska Native
corporations and other interests for development of key project
infrastructure.'

'As we move toward commencement of project permitting, Alaskans and all
project stakeholders will get much greater insight into how this
project will be built and operated so as to protect fish, water and
other important natural resources, while providing significant benefits
to Alaskans and the Native people of the region.'

The Pebble Project is an initiative of the Pebble Partnership to
responsibly develop a globally important copper, gold and molybdenum
deposit in southwest Alaska into a modern, long-life mine. The project
is located 200 miles southwest of Anchorage on state land designated
for mineral exploration and development. It is situated approximately
1,000 feet above sea-level, 65 miles from tidewater on Cook Inlet and
presents favourable conditions for successful mine site and
infrastructure development.

The Pebble Project consists of the Pebble deposit, surrounding mineral
claims and a stream of financing provided by Northern Dynasty's project
partner Anglo American US (Pebble) LLC. The Pebble Partnership was established in July 2007 as a
50:50 partnership between a wholly-owned affiliate of Northern Dynasty
and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Anglo American plc. Both Northern
Dynasty and Anglo American have equal and identical rights of
management, operatorship and control in the Pebble Partnership.

Under the terms of the Pebble Limited Partnership Agreement, Anglo
American is required to fund $1.5 billion in staged investments in
order to retain its 50% interest in the Pebble Project. Funds provided
by Anglo American are currently being invested in comprehensive
exploration, engineering, environmental and socioeconomic programs
toward the future development of the Pebble Project.

Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd. is a mineral exploration and development
company based in Vancouver, Canada, with indirect interests in 592
square miles of mineral claims in southwest Alaska. Northern Dynasty's
principal asset is a 50% interest in the Pebble Limited Partnership,
owner of the Pebble Copper-Gold-Molybdenum Project. The Pebble Project
is an advanced-stage initiative to develop one of the most important
mineral resources in the world.

Ronald W. Thiessen


President & CEO

Sole Responsibility

No regulatory authority accepts responsibility for the adequacy or
accuracy of this release.

Northern Dynasty is solely and entirely responsible for the contents of
this news release. No other party, including any parties which have an
interest in the project, are in any way responsible for the contents
hereof.

Forward-Looking Information and other Cautionary Factors

'This release includes certain statements that may be deemed
'forward-looking statements'. All statements in this release, other
than statements of historical facts, especially those that address
estimated resource quantities, grades and contained metals, are
forward-looking statements because they are generally made on the basis
of estimation and extrapolation from a limited number of drill holes
and metallurgical studies. Although diamond drill hole core provides
valuable information about the size, shape and geology of an
exploration project, there will always remain a significant degree of
uncertainty in connection with these valuation factors until a deposit
has been extensively drilled on closely spaced centers, which has
occurred only in specific areas on the Pebble Project. Although the
Company believes the expectations expressed in its forward-looking
statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements should
not be in any way construed as guarantees of the ultimate size, quality
or commercial feasibility of the Pebble Project or of the Company's
future performance. The likelihood of future mining at the Pebble
Project is subject to a large number of risks and will require
achievement of a number of technical, economic and legal objectives,
including obtaining necessary mining and construction permits,
completion of pre-feasibility and final feasibility studies,
preparation of all necessary engineering for underground workings and
processing facilities as well as receipt of significant additional
financing to fund these objectives as well as funding mine
construction. Such funding may not be available to the Company on
acceptable terms or on any terms at all. There is no known ore at the
Pebble Project and there is no assurance that the mineralization at the
Pebble Project will ever be classified as ore. The need for compliance
with extensive environmental and socio-economic rules and practices and
the requirement for the Company to obtain government permitting can
cause a delay or even abandonment of a mineral project. The Company is
also subject to the specific risks inherent in the mining business as
well as general economic and business conditions. For more information
on the Company, Investors should review the Company's annual Form 40-F
filing with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and
its home jurisdiction filings that are available at www.sedar.com.'

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on Northern Dynasty please visit the Company's website at www.northerndynasty.com or contact Investor services at (604) 684-6365 or within North America at 1-800-667-2114. Review Canadian public filings at www.sedar.com and US public filings at www.sec.gov.