THE ALASKA MINER MAGAZINE: Our magazine is published quarterly and delivered to both the members of the Alaska Miners Association and to key decision-makers and leaders in Alaska and beyond. Our goal is to educate, advocate, and lead our industry as one of the strongest, oldest, and most productive corporate citizens in Alaska. AMA’s mission is to promote responsible mineral development in Alaska. We provide key communication between our members, the industry, and policymakers in and out of Alaska. Each issue includes news and information important to our industry and our constituents.
The official magazine of the Alaska Miners Association and the mining industry in Alaska
AlaskaMiners.org
Winter 2021 Volume 49, Number 1
Tragedy in Haines INSIDE, PAGE 26 Miners, communities rally to help SE families recover
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
n New session, same issues n 2021 Issues of Concern n Interior projects moving forward n Faces of Mining: Varina Zinno
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Executive Director’s Report
House and Senate to ensure our story is heard. Please be sure they also hear from you. Our leaders in Juneau will have their own set of chal- lenges trying to fill our state’s financial shortfall. And the Dunleavy Administration will be doing both the state challenges, plus ensuring it pushes back on the federal barricades to growing Alaska’s economy. It is comforting that the our lawmakers, even with dramatic changes in both the Alaska House and Senate, continue to understand the critical role mining plays in Alaska. We hope in their search for ways to fill the current financial gap that they keep that in mind. We are encouraged that a measure gaining support already would end the way ballot initiatives have disrupted our state’s attention for decades. One of the challenges of publishing a robust, statewide magazine like The Alaska Miner is the lead time necessary from planning to final delivery in your mailbox or inbox via email — especially when the world literally changes every day, with yet a new set of challenges. We have started anew with this issue a couple of times, especially trying to keep ahead of the new federal challenges! But know it is part of our dedication to keep you informed, as well as ed- ucation decisionmakers outside our industry about the key issues we face, that will affect all Alaskans. December’s tragic landslide that struck Haines brought home again how precious every moment is, how fragile life is and how indomitably strong is our mining communi- ty. Many of our members live and work in Haines or have family and friends there. And they pitched in before the rain stopped, providing immediate relief, muscle, finances, and support for our neighbors. Elsewhere in this magazine you will read more about what happened, how it happened and what is next. It will be years before Haines returns to something approaching normal and we can all pitch in to help. Believe it or not, there is still good news. The price for minerals remains near historic highs, which adds financial viability to everything we do. And the need for critical minerals has never been greater. Several key projects — our word for dreams and plans and visions that may someday become producing mines — are making great progress. And our existing mines are finding new resources and improving technology to add decades to their productive lives — ensuring good paying jobs and a contribution to the Alaska economy. Finally, thanks for your continued and fierce support for our association and the work we do. It would be easy with our distancing and financial challenges to take a step back. But more than ever, our role and the potential risks for Alaska miners, if we fail, are vast. It is humbling to know especially in these trying times that you have got our back! Thank you!
Dear Alaska Miners:
What a difference a year makes. A year ago, we were seeing some of the greatest opti- mism in Alaska mining in decades. Today, optimism has moved to caution to trepidation as the new Biden administration has moved aggressively to reverse or second guess every rule we have lived with for the past four years. While we anticipated a different environment outlook on resource development with this administration compared to the last, the shift has been both abrupt and alarming. The list is too long for space here, but the overarching message is the Biden administration intends to obstruct or stop most resource development in Alaska. Suffice it to say that when a new president’s very first act is closing ANWR once again, we are in for a bumpy ride. But, we have been here before. More than any time in recent years, we will rely on our Alaska congressional delegation to lead the way in the
Deantha Skibinski AMA Executive Director
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
2 Executive
Director’s Report
4 Letter from President Bill Jeffress 8 Concerns with Biden
The official magazine of the Alaska Miners Association and the mining industry in Alaska
Administration 12 2021 Legislative session overview 16 Faces of Mining: Varina Zinno 20 Pebble files appeal on Corps decision 22 Alaska Resource Education a pandemic success 26 Haines: Tragedy and teamwork 32 2021 Mining Issues of Concern 44 Mining Business and Service Directory 56 Sustaining sponsors vital to AMA success
ON THE COVER: Southeast Alaska’s community of Haines continues to dig out and recover from the December landslide that killed two people and destroyed many homes. The community is home to many Alaska miners and the tragedy affected our mining family throughout Alaska, with many AMA members playing an active role in the immediate and long-term response. Read more beginning on Page 26. Photo courtesy Donlin Gold THIS PAGE: The 28 community partners in the Donlin Gold Backhaul Hazardous Waste Removal Partnership collaborated with key local groups to remove approximately 45,000 pounds of household hazardous materials such as fluorescent tubes, lead acid batteries and electronic waste from 10 villages in the Yukon-Kuskokwim (Y-K) region in September. Photo courtesy Donlin Gold
The Alaska Miner is dedicated to those who work in and support the mining industry in Alaska, its commitment to the people, and resources of our state. Our magazine is published quarterly and delivered to both the members of the Alaska Miners Association and to key decision makers and leaders in Alaska and beyond. Our goal is to educate, advocate and lead our industry as one of the strongest, oldest and most productive corporate citizens in Alaska. AMA’s mission is to promote responsible mineral development in Alaska.
EDITORIAL CALENDAR
ALASKA MINERS ASSOCIATION STAFF
April 2021 Project Updates July 2021 People in Mining
Executive Director
Deantha Skibinski Jennifer Luiten Darlene Strickland
Membership and Fundraising Director
October 2021 Annual Anchorage Convention January 2022 Legislative and Season Preview
Bookkeeping and Membership
EXECUTIVE BOARD
BRANCH CHAIRMEN
Bill Jeffress President, SRK Consulting, Anchorage Bartly Kleven First Vice President, Kinross–Fort Knox, Fairbanks Lorali Simon Second Vice President, Usibelli Coal Mine, Healy Kim Aasand Treasurer, Aasand & Glore LLC., Anchorage
Ted Hawley Anchorage Lorali Simon Denali Mark Huffington Fairbanks Liz Cornejo Haines Jim Clark Juneau
Houston Morris Kenai Blake Bogart Nome Andrew Spokely Ketchikan/
Prince of Wales
The Alaska Miner is published in partnership with the Alaska Miners Association by Fireweed Strategies LLC, 4849 Potter Crest Circle, Anchorage, AK 99516. We actively seek contributions from our members and the mining industry. For advertising information or news tips, call or email publisher Lee Leschper at 907-957-6025 or Lee.Leschper@FireweedStrategies.com.
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President’s Message From Bill Jeffress
Here are bright spots from a difficult year
Although 2020 was not the record-breaking year we thought it was going to be and the political winds supporting resource development in Alaska have changed, AMA and its members are more than ready to face challenges. 2 020 is a year few of us will ever forget. Last January all the signals were there for a banner year for the mineral industry in
substituting statewide Zoom Friday meetings for the in-person individual branch meetings. Thanks to the technical wizardry of AMA staff and member volunteers, the weekly meetings garnered more than 100 participates for each event. These weekly meetings have provided a chance to again network with our local members, even allowing for participation at a statewide level. For all that were not camera-shy, it was great to see everyone. The optimism demonstrated by the abundant participation was amazing. From safety shares, weekly humor, Executive Director’s report, project updates, and the presentations, these meetings keep the association viable to members and an asset to Alaska. Next came the drive and perseverance of the Convention Committee. Results from convention alternatives survey, lack of a convention facility, travel restrictions, and risk of spreading the corona virus, the convention seemed doomed. Staff and members of the committee took those issues as a challenge and moved forward with planning and implementing the 2020 AMA Convention and Trade Show Virtual Event via Zoom. What a tremendous success from the short course, technical sessions, Prospectors Tent, election overview, update on mining operations, up to the final Core Shack event. The number of participants and the quality of the presentations were outstanding. The Convention required registration but was free to those wanting to attend with the option to donate to support the effort.
Alaska. The Governor’s outreach in Vancouver B.C. was a great start in communicating to a variety of mining companies that Alaska is open for business. The signs were also there for a stellar year for Alaska exploration. With the arrival of COVID-19 and various forms of “hunker-down” policies optimism waned. Then throw in Ballot measures, Presidential election, cancellation of the Fairbanks AMA Conference and we were on our way to a perfect storm. The governor listing mining as an essential industry was the catalyst that opened the door for the mining industry to demonstrate our resiliency. Mining companies implemented COVID-19 Community / Workforce Protective Plans and continued to operate even with the additional costs of testing, sheltering/quarantining workers, and modifying work schedules. Not only has the industry adapted to its own needs but stepped up to help others through donations to food banks, Children’s Lunch Box, homeless shelters and Salvation Army. Exploration projects and small placer operators overcame the challenges to finish out the season while still protecting workers and rural communities. Alaskans in general exhibited fantastic character as demonstrated by even low- wage workers contributing to help small businesses survive these tough times. All the Branches of the Alaska Miners Association proved that “if there is a will there’s a way” by
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Missed a past issue? Or want to share a story? All issues of The Alaska Miner Magazine and The Alaska Miner Journal are online at the Alaska Miners Association website: AlaskaMiners. org/publication. Help us spread the good news about mining in Alaska!
Photo Courtesy Shutterstock
AMA staff has also initiated a Sustaining Sponsorship fund raiser to further support the organization. The donation from registrations and Sustaining Sponsors remains the biggest bright spot for AMA in 2020.
the mining industry in 2021 and beyond. Although 2020 was not the record-breaking year we thought it was going to be and the political winds supporting resource development in Alaska have changed, AMA and its members are more than ready to face the challenges 2021 may present.
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Winter 2021
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Photo Courtesy Coeur Alaska
Coeur Alaska’s most recent gift will benefit University of Alaska Southeast Environmental Science students.
Coeur Alaska gives $300K to endowment at UAS
to the fund in support of UAS Envi- ronmental Science students. “This scholarship demonstrates Coeur Alaska’s commitment to both Environmental Science and to Southeast Alaska. Here at UAS we are thrilled to have Coeur Alaska as a partner in preparing our next gener - ation workforce that is committed to responsible resource development,” said Chancellor Karen Carey. The purpose of the scholarship program is to provide financial as - sistance to Marine Biology and Envi- ronmental Science students. Recipi- ents of the award must be an Alaska resident and have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 (GPA). The award is structured to have a pref- erence for Juneau students first, and for students coming from Southeast Alaska second. Since its inception, the endowment had awarded over
$23,000 to 35 students. This aca - demic year, four students received an award of $1,000 each. “Coeur Alaska is committed to responsible resource development and the protection of our environ- ment,” said Mark Kiessling, Gener- al manager of Coeur Alaska Kens - ington Mine. “We are proud of our long-standing partnership with UAS and pleased to provide funds to help develop Alaskans into the next gen - eration of environmental scientists and marine biologists.” For more information on the Coeur Alaska - Kensington Gold Mine Environmental Science Award contact Lynne Johnson, UAS Director of Development & Alumni Relations at 907-796-6416. For information on how to apply for the scholarship go touas.alaska.edu/financial_aid.
Funding will support Environmental Science students It all began in 1991 when Coeur d’Alene Mines Corporation (now Coeur Mining, Inc.), parent com - pany for Coeur Alaska, received the first-ever $20,000 DuPont/Conoco Environmental Leadership Award. Coeur took the money and used it to establish an endowed scholarship at the University of Alaska Southeast now known as the Coeur Alaska - Kensington Gold Mine Environmen- tal Science Award. Coeur Alaska has continued to donate additional funds to the en- dowment over the years and this fall they generously donated $300,000
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What does President Biden mean for Alaska mining?
Newly elected President Joe Biden wasted no time attempt to make a U-turn in resource development pol- icies in the United States. On the day of his inauguration, the new president signed 15 executive orders marking major policy shifts being implement or evaluated by the new Administration, termed “Agen- cy actions for review that address COVID-19, provide economic relief, tackle climate change, and advance racial equality.” The AMA Federal Oversight Com - mittee has been working for some time to anticipate and prepare for the transition of leadership in Washing- ton. But President Biden quickly has shown his intent to take resource de- velopment in a whole new direction, if not stop it entirely. The most immediate and broad impact will come as resource re- lated agencies review current rules and past executive actions from the Trump administration. In many cas- es these will be Trump actions that in Alaska simplified the process of deal - ing with the Federal government and opened new mining opportunities. Heads of relevant agencies will re- view these actions in accordance with Executive Order “Protecting Public Health and the Environment and Re- storing Science to Tackle the Climate Crisis.” Elements of that order that could directly impact Alaska mining and miners include: n Council of Environmental Quality’s “Guidance Document Pro - cedures,” 86 Fed. Reg. 1279 and “Up - date to the Regulations Implement- ing the Procedural Provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act,” 85 Fed. Reg. 43304. n Department of Agriculture’s “Special Areas; Roadless Area Con - servation; National Forest System Lands in Alaska,” 85 Fed. Reg. 68688. n Environmental Protection Agency’s “Repeal of the Clean Power Plan; Emission Guidelines for Green- house Gas Emissions from Existing Electric Utility Generating Units; Re-
visions to Emission Guidelines Im- plementing Regulations,” 84 Fed. Reg. 32520 and “Financial Respon - sibility Requirements Under CERCLA Section 108(b) for Classes of Facilities in the Hardrock Mining Industry,” 83 Fed. Reg. 7556. n Department of Defense’s “Re - issuance and Modification of Nation - wide Permits,” 86 Fed. Reg. 2744, “Clean Water Act Section 401 Certi - fication Rule,” 85 Fed. Reg. 42210, and “The Navigable Waters Protec- tion Rule: Definition of ‘Waters of the United States,’” 85 Fed. Reg. 22250. n Department of the Interior’s “Notice of Availability of the Pro- posed Resource Management Plan and Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Bering Sea-West- ern Interior Planning Area, Alaska,” 85 Fed. Reg. 78350 and “Notice of Availability of the Record of Decision for the Proposed Willow Master De- velopment Plan Project, Alaska,” 85 Fed. Reg. 69351. In addition, Secretarial Order 3395 issued on Inauguration Day suspends the authority for all Department of Interior agencies to: n Publish or help publish a Fed- eral Register notice of any NEPA Ac- tion n Issue/Revise/Amend Resource Management Plans n Grant rights of way, ease- ments, conveyances, land sales and
exchanges, notices to proceed under previous surface use authorizations that authorize ground-disturbing activities. n Approve plans of operations or amending POOs under Mining Law of 1872 n Issue any final decision on RS2477s n Appoint or hire any personnel at our above level GS13 That order is online at: www.doi. gov/sites/doi.gov/files/elips/docu - ments/so-3395-signed.pdf. Obviously, AMA’s Federal Over - sight Committee is quite busy. We always appreciate your feedback and supplying us with any information related to your business so that we can advocate for you. Biden agency appointees, those who will implement his policies, will also have a big impact on Alaska. So far, his choices have also shared a less-than-favorable record on min- ing issues. These include Environmental Pro- tection Agency Michael S. Regan, In- terior Deb Haaland, Energy Jennifer Grantham, and Commerce Gina Rai - mondo. Climate policy with also be in the forefront, including challenges to re- source development alleged to affect climate change, with John Kerry as Special Envoy for Climate and Gina McCarthy as Climate Czar.
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The Alaska Miner
Winter 2021
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The Alaska Miner
Biden moves fast to impact Alaska resource industries
On his first day in office President Joe Biden left no doubt he intends to make dramatic changes impacting Alaska miners and other resource de- velopment industries. Biden signed an executive order placing a temporary moratorium on oil and gas activity in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge just hours after his in- auguration and one day after the Trump administration issued nine oil and gas leases in the refuge’s coastal plain. Biden is sending a strong signal that the new presidential adminis- tration will take a vastly different ap - proach to Alaska resource issues than the previous one. The key action was a vast and broad 3400-word executive order in the mantle of action to protect public health and the environment and to ad- dress climate change. “In light of the alleged legal defi - ciencies underlying the program, in- cluding the inadequacy of the environ- mental review required by the National Environmental Policy Act, the Secre- tary of the Interior shall, as appropri- ate and consistent with applicable law, place a temporary moratorium on all activities of the Federal Government relating to the implementation of the Coastal Plain Oil and Gas Leasing Pro - gram,” the order said. The moratorium is a step toward closing the refuge to drilling perma- nently with Democrats controlling both chambers of Congress and the White House. Drilling in the 19-million-acre ref - uge had made enormous gains under former President Donald Trump. A Re- publican-led Congress approved it in the 2017 Tax Cut and Jobs Act, requir - ing lease sales by the end of 2021 and 2024, achieving a decades-old dream of Alaska’s congressional delegations. The first lease sale drew limited bids and any production from those leases would be a decade or more away. The lease owners will have legal recourse if the administration moves forward with a complete closure. The order also says the Interior Secretary “shall review the program and, as appropriate and consistent
with applicable law, conduct a new, comprehensive analysis of the poten- tial environmental impacts of the oil and gas program.” Alaska’s leadership has condemned Biden’s actions. “I’m prepared to use every resource available to fight for Alaskans’ right to have a job and have a future by taking advantage of every opportunity avail- able to us,” Gov. Mike Dunleavy said in a statement. “Well, that was fast,” U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan said in a statement. “Today, in his inaugural address, President Biden called for national unity and healing. However, just hours earli- er, his administration took their cues from radical environmentalists in is- suing punitive and divisive actions against Alaska, many other resource development states, and whole sectors of our economy.” Sen. Lisa Murkowski said she was “astounded” to see Biden put jobs at risk on his first day in office. “In the past month, we have seen significant progress with the sale, signing, and issuing of leases in the non-wilderness (coastal area of the refuge),” she said. “The Biden admin - istration must faithfully implement
the law and allow for that good prog- ress to continue.” “This is not the time to roll back our progress in ANWR, especially amid an economic downturn caused by a global pandemic,” said Rep. Don Young. Opponents have long argued drill- ing would add to global warming and endanger wildlife there. “These swift decisions will impact the long-term future for Alaskans and the country,” Kara Moriarty of the Alaska Oil and Gas Association told the Anchorage Daily News. “The demand for oil and gas is not going away in the next few decades. We stand ready to work with this administration to find common ground on future issues. Our state’s economy depends on a vibrant industry.” Beyond the moratorium, Biden can temporarily suspend the leases or de- cline to issue federal authorizations needed for oil and gas activity to pro- ceed in the refuge. Because any development is in the future, the moratorium has no imme- diate direct impact on the Alaska econ- omy, but could be a significant chilling effect on all resource development in - dustries consider new investments in the state.
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SUPPORT FAIR PROCESSES FOR ALASKA PERMITTING
2021 Alaska Legislative Session Permanent Fund Dividend payments to be in spotlight
Alaska’s 2021 state legislative session is getting off to a slow start. The state House,
The smooth senate organization dispelled fears that disagreements
There are seven Senate Dem- ocrats. As expected, Sen. Lyman Hoffman, D-Bethel, joined the Sen- ate Majority, as he has in the past. Rural lawmakers representing large districts must be pragmatic and of- ten set aside partisan affiliations to represent constituents. The Sen- ate’s new leaders, all experienced, also felt it is better to have the can- ny Hoffman “inside the tent” than outside. There were fears initially that the Senate would wind up being controlled this year by conserva- tive senators from the Mat-Su with strong influence by Gov. Mike Dun- leavy, who is from the region. In that scenario, the key issue would have been the governor’s push for large Permanent Fund dividends, which most senators feel the state can’t afford. Although moderate senators wound up in leadership the PFD is- sue is still there. That’s because a key condition in the Senate organi- zation deal is no “binding caucus” condition on votes. The means ev- ery senator is free to vote his or her wishes on a floor vote for a bill. A binding caucus rule requires a legislator to support the major- ity caucus position on key issues like the budget or bills with big fis- cal impacts like on the PFD. In an open-vote scenario the large PFD passes. It would take a courageous lawmaker to vote “no” on this and have to explain to constituents the math behind why a larger PFD can’t be afforded with $74 billion in the Permanent Fund. The “no bind- ing-caucus” agreement was likely a condition of Mat-Su senators like Mike Shower and Shelley Hughes in going along with Micciche, St- edman, Bishop and Stevens in the Senate organization. The House will take more time to get itself organized. Although this will slow things down, it may be a good thing in the long run, some
among the 13 Repub - licans would cause delays. Senate leaders in- clude experienced hands Sens. Peter Micciche, R-Kenai, as President; Bert St- edman, R-Sitka and Click Bishop, R-Fair - banks, as Finance Committee cochairs, and Gary Stevens, R-Kodiak, as Rules chair. Sen. Shelley Hughes, R-Mat-Su, is
split 20-20 and with COVID-19 protections in place, can’t legally function until an or- ganization is in place with leaders and ap- pointments to com- mittees. The state Senate, however, chose its leaders and made committee as- signments quickly in the first week of the 2021 legislative ses - sion, which convened Jan. 20.
MIKE DUNLEAVY
Majority Leader.
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Labor and Commerce Committee: Senator Costello Resources Committee: Sen. Revak State Affairs Committee: Sen. Shower, Chair Transportation Committee: Sen- ator Myers, Chair Health and Social Services Com - mittee: Sen. Wilson, Chair Judiciary Committee: Sen. Rein- bold, Chair Education Committee: Sen. Hol- land, Chair Rules Committee: Sen. Stevens, Chair
House members say. The House has 20 Republicans, 16 Democrats, one dissident Repub - lican (Rep. Louise Stutes of Kodiak) and three independents aligned so far with Democrats. In this situa- tion a coalition of some kind is re- quired for the House to be able to function. Having just one indepen- dent, as an example, shift over to give a one-vote advantage to a Re- publican majority isn’t enough. In a 21-19 world Rep. David East - man, R-Wasilla, holds a key card in the House because of his history of voting “no” on every bill. With such a thin margin East- man effectively blocks any bill, even the budget, from getting 21 votes needed to pass the House. Unless a budget is passed by June 30 state government shuts down. More are needed to give the leadership, who- ever it winds up to be, a margin of comfort for votes on key bills like the budget. Creating a coalition with suf - ficient margin to govern will take some time but experienced legisla - tors say that is better than to rush things with a narrow majority that will either fracture quickly or have to be managed so rigidly as to cre- ate hard feelings among members. Some say that happened with the House coalition in the last Legisla- ture. However the House eventually organizes, the major issue of the 2021 session will be Gov. Mike Dun - leavy’s proposed two large Perma - nent Fund Dividend payments to citizens that would total $4,972. One payment of $1,900 would be made in late March, the governor has proposed. Another PFD of about $3,000 would be paid in November. The PFD payments will become a major source of contention as law- makers also deal with serious fi- nancial issues facing the state. The Legislature has final authority to set the amount of the dividend and does so depending on what funds are available. In the governor’s plan for a FY 2022, Dunleavy has proposed what is in most part status-quo spending for state agencies, although there are $291 million in cuts in budget that would mostly be done without major changes to state programs. State agencies that work with Alaska’s resource development in - dustries are likely to see their bud-
gets remain intact, a relief to com- panies who worry over regulatory agencies’ ability to review and issue permits. Competent review of per - mits is necessary to forestall legal challenges by anti-development groups. — Tim Bradner Bradner has reported on the Alaska Legislature for decades Senate committee appointments Finance Committee: Sen. Bishop and Sen. Stedman, Cochairs
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Message from Sen. Lisa Murkowski American Mineral Security Act a victory for our great state I n late December, President Trump signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act into law. Among other measures, this bill contained committee, I was able to reach agreement to enact nearly all of my American Mineral Security Act — the most substantial action that Congress has taken in decades to address our nation’s growing foreign mineral dependence.
funding for the federal government for the rest of Fiscal Year 2021 and the third major coronavirus recovery package in the past nine months. As a result of a bipartisan agreement that I helped lead, Congress is now providing greater sup - port for struggling individuals, families, and businesses, while also accelerating the purchase and distribution of vaccines to help us overcome the pandemic. Government funding and COVID-19 assistance rightfully led the news cov- erage of our year-end package, but they were not the only items of relevance to Alaska within it. In addition to funding
My legislation recognizes the impor- tance of minerals — and mining — to our daily lives and modern society. It will help reduce U.S. imports of miner- als like rare earth elements by taking a holistic approach to rebuild our domestic supply chains. The federal government is now responsible for maintaining a list of minerals critical to our economy and national defense, surveying lands to de- termine where we have viable deposits of those minerals, and ensuring that those who seek to develop them can responsi-
LISA MURKOWSKI
for federal mineral programs that I secured through my chairmanship of the Interior Appropriations Sub-
bly bring them into commercial production. This framework will help facilitate both domestic
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mineral production and process- ing, which is key for companies like Ucore and Graphite One. It also makes modest permitting reforms, provides for workforce devel- opment, supports R&D for new refining methods, and promotes recycling and alternatives for the minerals that we lack. Our timing could not be better. The National Academy of Scienc- es tell us that more than 25,000 pounds of minerals are needed per person, per year, in the U.S. to make the items we use for ba- sic human needs, infrastructure, energy, transportation, communi- cations, and defense. Our foreign dependence already runs deep, with the U.S. importing at least 50% of its supply of 46 different minerals in 2019, including 100% of 17 of them. And groups like the World Bank — hardly known for their promotion of mining — are warn- ing that mineral demand is set to skyrocket as renewables, electric vehicles, and other emerging tech- nologies grow in use. As a result of our work with the Trump administration, Alas- ka stands ready to help meet this surge in demand. We have a world- class mineral base and are on the verge of new development across our state. To name a few, the re- cent approval of the Ambler Ac-
cess Project will help open up that district, Donlin is cleared to move forward, and updates and revisions to the Fortymile and other Resource Management Plans will unlock similar opportunities. The enactment of my American Mineral Security Act has been a long time coming. I introduced the first version of it nearly a decade ago and held no fewer than nine hearings on it while serving as the lead Republican on the Sen- ate Energy and Natural Resources
Committee. We have more work to do, par- ticularly on permitting, but more in Congress are finally starting to recognize the value of mining and minerals. That is great news for Alaska’s future, and the mining industry’s critical role within it. Sen. Murkowski is Alaska’s senior U.S. Senator and outgoing chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
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Employees surpassed their all- time safety record in April 2019 and by the end of the year, worked more than 1,000 days without a lost time accident. Our employees are committed to excellence in mining, and in practicing everyday safety—at work, at home and at play.
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Winter 2021
The Alaska Miner
In each issue of The Alaska Miner, we interview an out- standing leader in and member of our industry. This time we are talking with Varina Zinno, a senior geologist at Calista Corporation who was honored as Volunteer of the Year by AMA in 2019. Faces of Mining
Varina Zinno Senior Geologist at Calista Corporation
Who was your mentor in this industry and what did they teach you that remains true today? All of my bosses have played somewhat of a mentor- ship role with how common on the job training is, but the individual who really stood out for being an active men- tor was my first boss who hired me on my first project straight out of graduate school, Alan Roberts. He ran a tight ship and taught me many important technical and practical industry work skills. Some practical ones to share are that geologists should be open to do as variable work assignments as our miner and driller work partners embrace as “part of the job” (i.e. night shift, extended rotations and double shifts if need - ed), and to negotiate strongly your pay rate in the good times because you may have to rely on savings from that to get by in the bad times of recession given the cyclicity of the mining and exploration industry. What lessons have you learned that you want to share with new miners? Don’t be shy and always be proud to speak up about safety issues because this is part of what we are expect - ed and need to do as miners. Embrace new assignments/ tasks as the new opportunities they are with a “can-do” attitude as part of the job, and they may open new doors and even good recommendations. What would you do differently? Taken GIS in college and more focus on ore deposits in grad school, but thank goodness for on the job train- ing! My M.Sc. in mineralogy from McGill was part of what caught the eye of my first boss in hiring me for core log - ging, as he expected I would be sufficiently detailed ori - ented, so I really have no regrets. What was one experience you will never forget? It’s hard to pick one experience, but getting dropped off by helicopter/plane/boat to see the most epic scenery in the world for a long, wonderful day (or extended hitch) of field work is always memorable. These days remind me why I became a geologist, and gives the feeling of living the dream. For example, the views near Tsirku Glacier, Palmer Project, near Haines, are stunning and awe-in- spiring. What do you love most about this business? No. 1 is being able to do field work in the great outdoors. Finding gold is really fun and gold fever likely drives lots of rigorous treks in challenging conditions. More gener- ally, I love the people, camaraderie at camps and mines, the community, and passion many have and share for ex - ploration and mining. It’s a business where hard work, dedication and enthusiasm can really get you somewhere. Where do you see mining in Alaska in 50 years? Caught up and advanced compared to where Yukon mining and exploration is now. For the metallogenic po -
tential it seems we should have more mines. In the future I see more mines in Alaska, more exploration ac - tivities, and hopefully a larg- er trained local workforce and more support, both tan- gible from state and federal level and general community wide support of projects.
What do you see as our
biggest challenges? And opportunities? Our biggest challenges are perceptions of mining/lack of education on importance of mineral resources, lack of importance and training placed in trades like prospecting, challenges at UA system that could impact ability to create locally trained and educated workforce, and remoteness and lack of infrastructure at many jurisdictions that are apparent deterrents to investment. These challenges, when met, create our biggest opportu- nities — expanding Alaska’s trained and educated workforce including grassroots prospector development could lead to new discoveries and certainly more support for the indus- try. It is essential to educate the general public on the need for investment in new mineral resources to not only sustain our current modernized lifestyles but to make more envi- ronmentally sustainable “green” technology and expanded infrastructure with efficient development. In addition, we as an industry, need to continue spreading the word on the robust permitting process we have in Alaska that addresses and protects environmental sustainability concerns. As for remoteness, this is also an attribute since there are more opportunities that haven’t been uncovered yet due to access. What keeps you awake at night? The only thing that really keeps me awake at night is my neighbor’s dog. But an item of concern that I regu - larly come back to is how close we seem to be to losing an invaluable component of exploration — prospecting. Prospecting in Alaska is becoming like a lost art. It is my understanding from legislative research in the mining regulations that the state stopped financially supporting prospectors in 1982. The current regulations and gener - al industry seem to favor bigger projects over smaller in practice, so that makes it harder for the independent pros- pectors to stay in the game. The history of discoveries in Canada shows prospectors have played a key role and the Provinces have various means to support prospector de- velopment as part of comprehensive initiatives to promote exploration and development from all levels. I have spent time in the last several years brainstorming, researching, and networking on how to reinvigorate our industry from the bottom up through investment and support in grass- roots prospecting.
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The Alaska Miner
Winter 2021
Photos Courtesy Varina Zinno “I love the people, camaraderie at camps and mines, the community, and passion many have and share for exploration and mining. It’s a business where hard work, dedication and enthusiasm can really get you somewhere,” Zinno said. What does AMA mean to you? As an organization for advocacy on behalf of the mining and exploration industry, AMA is important for bringing together the Min/Ex community. I see it also a platform for engaging and getting involved with the industry, col- leagues, and friends. It is nice to be able to stay active with the community that feels like family through the Miners Breakfast Meetings, conventions and involvement on two committees — Convention Committee and State Oversight Committee. Through the State Oversight I was part of the Miner- al Tenure Working Group that helped push through the mining regulation improvements known as SB155. It is meaningful that individuals coming together can make a positive impact on issues that hurt miners and explorers. The role AMA plays in advocacy and making platforms for members to launch from is critical.
CONTINUED on PAGE 18
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Winter 2021
The Alaska Miner
Faces of Mining
Photos Courtesy Varina Zinno Varina and her husband, Bruno, got their licenses with a beginner’s road course in order to join their family for a motorcycle family reunion. Zinno also enjoys playing music in her free time.
up. These huge conferences had a few basic features AMA did not, such as a Core Shack exhibit. Since the Core Shack is critical in Canada to showcase drill results from active programs that resulted in better marketing of proj- ects, I suggested we start doing one at the AMA conference. The Core Shack quickly became a hit and provided an important space for geologists, pros- pectors, investors, and everyone in between from drillers to logistic com- panies who support drill programs to gather and network. Within a few years I also added the Prospectors Tent exhibit to the AMA offerings since it is another example of a classic Canadian mining confer - ence exhibit. Like the Core Shack, the Prospectors Tent established a vital platform for prospectors to promote
their early stage projects to potential investors and for general marketing and networking. As I got more involved with the committee some additional roles came up for me in the last couple of years such as chairing the Exploration Session, and organizing the Safety Session last year. I was honored to be awarded by AMA the Volunteer of the Year Award in 2019 for these efforts. The conventions and related events it hosts are crucially valuable to pro- vide the technical, promotional, and networking arena for miners, explor - ers, and supporters in the industry to share, tap into resources, and learn from each other. A lot of magical synergy hap- pens at these conventions from ev- eryone coming together and it was a
FACES, CONTINUED from PAGE 17
You took a very active role in the recent AMA conventions. Tell us more about the value you see in these events. A couple of years after I moved to Alaska from Canada in 2012, I started doing a little more office work in the offseason that kept me in town more, and I wanted to meet more people in the industry so with the extra sta - bility in schedule that working from the office gave I joined the convention committee. During my time studying and working in Canada I always attended the PDAC (Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada) convention in addition to AME-BC’s (Association of Mineral Exploration-BC) Round -
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The Alaska Miner
Winter 2021
bummer to miss the in-person com- ponent this year, as necessary as it was given the current crisis facing us all in 2020 from the pandemic. What do you do for fun? There are lots of activities, mostly outdoor and creative pursuits, that I like to do in my off time such as fish - ing, caving, railroading, and jewelry making and lapidary art. These days is seems there is only so much time so I focus on hockey, Nordic skiing and playing music. I like the challenge of learning new things. My latest interest is motorcycling. My husband, Bruno, and I got our licenses (with a begin - ner’s road course) in order to join my family for a motorcycle family reunion. Anything else you want to share? Thank you to AMA for choosing me for a profile in Faces of Mining. It is an honor! To anyone wanting to get involved, I suggest finding a way to support AMA such as joining Convention Committee or one of the other com - mittees, which are great ways to learn about and advocate on the issues af- fecting mining and exploration in our state.
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Winter 2021
The Alaska Miner
Pebble Partnership files appeal on Corps decision
Permit was denied in November under Clean Water Act The Pebble Partnership recently filed a Request for Appeal of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Record of Decision on the Pebble Project. The Request for Appeal was sub- mitted to the Army Corps Division Engineer. The USACE published a final Envi - ronmental Impact Statement (“EIS”) for the proposed copper-gold-mo- lybdenum-silver-rhenium mine in July 2020, finding that Pebble would “not have measurable effects” on fish populations or fisheries in southwest Alaska. Despite this, the lead federal regulator published a ROD on Nov. 25, 2020, denying Peb - ble a key permit under the Clean Wa - ter Act on the grounds that its ‘com - pensatory mitigation plan’ (“CMP”) is non-compliant and the project is not in the ‘public interest.’ The Pebble Partnership submit- ted its RFA to the USACE’s Pacific Ocean Division Engineer in Hawaii this week, in advance of the 60-day deadline following the permitting decision. The USACE has 30 days from receipt to notify the Pebble Partner- ship as to whether its RFA is com- plete. USACE guidelines indicate the administrative appeal process should conclude within 90 days, although it may be extended under certain cir - cumstances. PLP CEO John Shively had the fol - lowing statement about the RFA: “Following the decision by the USACE to issue a negative ROD for the Pebble Project, our team did a comprehensive review of the USACE documentation supporting their po- sition. One thing became abundantly clear to us and that is the conclusions reached in the ROD are not supported by the record established in the Fi- nal Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the project.
Photo Courtesy Pebble Limited Partnership
“The ROD also made it clear that the negative decision was rushed. The USACE rejected our Compensato - ry Mitigation Plan (CMP) a mere five days after it was received and with- out giving us an opportunity to ad- dress any of the issues listed, which showed that it was never given fair consideration. Additionally, there were several federal and state docu- ments that were not complete before the ROD was issued. “The ROD abandoned decades of precedent in how wetlands and re- source projects in Alaska should be managed and regulated. We believe we have presented a strong case in our appeal and look forward the next steps in advancing this import - ant mineral asset. Pebble contains a world-class resource that belongs to the people of Alaska and could bring much needed employment and eco- nomic activity for the region and the state. The FEIS found that the project can be developed without damage to the Bristol Bay fishery, a finding that was mostly ignored in the decision to deny Pebble a permit.” In a news release, Northern Dy- nasty said it believes that key aspects of the USACE’s ROD and permitting decision – including its ‘significant
degradation’ finding, its ‘public in - terest review’ findings and its per - functory rejection of Pebble’s CMP – are contrary to law, unprecedented in Alaska and fundamentally unsup- ported by the administrative record, including the Pebble Project EIS. Additional details about the Pebble Partnership’s RFA submission will be released in the days and weeks ahead. Northern Dynasty is a mineral exploration and development com - pany based in Vancouver, Canada. Northern Dynasty’s principal asset, owned through its wholly owned Alaska-based U.S. subsidiary, Pebble Limited Partnership (“PLP”), is a 100 percent interest in a contiguous block of 2,402 mineral claims in southwest Alaska, including the Pebble depos- it, located 200 miles from Anchorage and 125 miles from Bristol Bay. PLP is the proponent of the Pebble Proj- ect, an initiative to develop one of the world’s most important mineral re - sources. For further details on North- ern Dynasty and the Pebble Project, please visit the Company’s website at www.northerndynastyminerals.com or contact Investor services at 604- 684-6365 or within North America at 1-800-667-2114.
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The Alaska Miner
Winter 2021
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