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Alaska’s miners set examples to follow
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BY MIKE SATRE
set at our existing operations will allow us to permit and develop more mines in Alaska, and other jurisdictions as well. This is a responsibility and a mission that we all must take seriously. This responsibility begins when the first exploration geologists are working in an area and continues throughout the life of a mine until reclamation and closure. At each phase of the mine life, it is more important than ever that we are transparent with our stakeholders and that we perform to the highest safety and environmental standards. We must also be mindful to always fulfill our commitments, both real and implied, and that we do not allow our stakeholders to have unrealistic expectations for our timelines and community impacts. Because every time that we fail in this mission, we allow those that oppose our industry to drive one more nail in our coffin. Thankfully, Alaska’s miners understand this and take this seriously. Does this mean that our collective record is spotless? No. But Alaska’s miners are proud of their ability to admit when we have failed to fulfill our mission and we strive to learn from our mistakes.
Who cares about Alaska? The members of the Alaska Miners Association, that’s who! Our members are fiercely proud and protective of our state, its environment, its people and its resources. We understand that mining in Alaska poses unique challenges and we have been driven to develop innovative solutions to be successful. As a result, there is no question that we lead the world in balancing mineral extraction with protecting our environment. Alaska’s miners — both large and small — know their actions are constantly under a microscope. In today’s connected world, it only takes a moment for any lapse in judgement, no matter how inadvertent, to be spread across various mediums in an effort to discredit our industry. We know that each shift that we safely complete not only gives us the ability to go home and see our families, but also allows us the social license to come back tomorrow, and the next day, and the next, in order to do it all over again. Our miners understand that the example we
The Alaska Miner
April 2019
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