In 1980, Congress included special provisions in the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) to guarantee authorizations of surface access to the Ambler District. Section 201 (4) of ANILCA reads, “Congress finds that there is a need for access for surface transportation purposes across the Western (Kobuk River) unit of the Gates of the Arctic National Preserve (from the Ambler Mining District to the Alaska Pipeline Haul Road) and the Secretary shall permit such access in accordance with the provisions of this subsection.” This congressional guarantee of access to the Ambler Mining District was addressed by the Alaska Delegation in response to the release of the draft Ambler Road Supplemental EIS. “This road is guaranteed under federal law and will facilitate access to crucial supplies of copper, cobalt, gallium, germanium, and other minerals that our nation currently imports from abroad,” said Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska. “This is particularly important as China cuts off exports of gallium and germanium, cobalt is produced through modern-day slavery in the DRC, and some of our best analysts are forecasting shortages of copper within a decade.” All the metals mentioned by Alaska’s senior senator, along with zinc, silver, and gold, are found within the high-grade deposits proposed to be mined in the Ambler District.
Sulivan says “this supplemental EIS is almost certainly counter to ANILCA, which mandates that the Interior Secretary ‘shall’ grant an Ambler Road right-of-way not subject to judicial review.” In addition to no action, BLM included three alternatives that involve different Ambler Road routes: n Alternative A: This is the 211-mile road that was previously approved and the preferred route of the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA), which would build the road and recoup expenses from tolls charged to mining companies. n Alternative B: This follows a similar route as Alternative A but includes a jog to the south to minimize the amount of National Park Service land crossed and to avoid large waterbodies. This alternative adds about 17 miles to the route, resulting in 228 miles of new road to be constructed. n Alternative C: This route would depart the Dalton Highway about 100 miles south of the other alternatives and extend northwest to the Ambler District. This route would require 332 miles of road to be built. Interestingly, BLM did not include a preferred alternative in its draft Ambler Road Supplemental EIS. The public has another 60 days to submit additional input on the Ambler Road during a public comment period scheduled to run from Oct. 20 to Dec. 19.
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www.alaskaminers.org I The Alaska Miner I November 2023
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