State, DNR remain committed to safety in Donlin project
A s Commissioner of the Alas- ka Department of Natural Re- sources (DNR), I take very se- riously my department’s responsibility to “develop, conserve and maximize the use of Alaska’s natural resources con- sistent with the public interest.”
grayling in local waters, reclamation ef- forts achieved their goal of seeing 800- 1,400 grayling over 8 inches long at Fort Knox’s Water Supply Reservoir in just a few years. Eagles, moose, mink, otters, loons and many other types of wildlife share the ecology of this area.
Alaskans often ask how we can pro- tect the environment throughout a mine’s life cycle, and especially about long-term, post-closure water man- agement. Our understanding of and commitment to addressing these requirements has grown significantly in recent decades. We fully recognize the State must be able to mitigate risks and guarantee mines like Donlin will be taken care of, regardless of any ownership changes. We take this responsibility very seriously. The Reclamation and Clo- sure Plan (Plan) prepared by Donlin Gold (dnr.alaska. gov/mlw/mining/largemine/donlin/archive) describes long-term water management and treatment. In coordination with the Alaska Department of En- vironmental Conservation, DNR conducted a thorough review to ensure the proposal meets Alaska’s strin- gent water quality standards to protect fish and human health. A major part of the plan includes Donlin Gold’s fi- nancial assurance plan, required before operations can begin, describing specific components underlying the estimate of hundreds of millions of dollars in financial assurance needs. It relies on conservative estimates of the costs for reclamation, closure, care and mainte- nance. As the mine progressed through development and operations the plan would be subject to continuous state review and updates by Donlin Gold when warranted, with substantial changes subject to public review and comment, including concurrence from both TKC and Calista. Overall, I’ve been very impressed by the rigor of the baseline data collection and analyses conducted for this project. From tailings management to mer- cury and cyanide risks, to potential impacts on fish and subsistence resources, the project has undergone a high level of scrutiny. Donlin Gold has never shied away from tackling difficult questions, often going beyond legal and reg- ulatory requirements. I’ve also seen the extensive and
Calista Corporation and The Kuskok- wim Corporation (TKC) have similar re- sponsibilities to their shareholders to develop their land responsibly. We share the same goal of reviewing project plans to ensure the Donlin Gold project meets the state’s strict regulations and can operate safely. DNR coordinates the State of Alaska’s environ- mental and engineering oversight as Donlin Gold, one of the world’s largest known gold deposits, finishes permitting and moves toward mine construction, op- eration, and ultimately reclamation and closure. Through the Large Mine Permitting Process, ex- perienced state agency staff work together and with local and federal counterparts on the key issues, con- ducting a thorough environmental review. The State actively contributed to development of the Donlin Gold Environmental Impact Statement led by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and commented on subsistence, water quality, tailings and fisheries issues. State regulators brought significant expertise, permitting responsibilities and accountability to that federal review process. Does this approach work for Alaska? We have five major metal mining projects that have operated safe- ly and in an environmentally-sound manner for de- cades. Certainly, much of this is due to responsible ownership—backed by the experience, knowledge and dedication of our mining program staff, who pro- vide thorough and independent oversight. Residents of the Yukon-Kuskokwim region won- dering how well the state program works can con- sider Northwest Alaska’s experience with Red Dog, Interior’s experience with Fort Knox and Pogo, and Southeast’s experience with Kensington and Greens Creek. These mines have benefited their regions’ eco- nomic and environmental well-being alike. Fort Knox, at the headwaters of Yukon River tributaries, has received awards for its reclamation efforts. While pre-mine studies documented the absence of Arctic
CORRI A. FEIGE
The Alaska Miner
January 2019
6
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online