Federal officials have issued the final permit needed to allow construction of a large gold mine in southeast Alaska that has drawn opposition from environmentalists.
The Environmental Protection Agency issued a vital wastewater-discharge permit to Coeur Alaska Inc., a subsidiary of the Idaho-based mining company Coeur d’Alene Mines Corp. The Kensington mine, 45 miles north of Juneau, would produce 100,000 ounces of gold annually for 10 years, according to the company.
Coeur, which has already obtained approval for the project from the U.S. Forest Service and Army Corps of Engineers, said it hopes to start construction in July and production in 2006.
The mine has been planned since the 1980s, but low gold prices and ownership changes in the project stalled work on it.
Gov. Frank Murkowski hailed the EPA permit as a significant economic milestone, calling it “yet another example of how our natural resources can be developed, while protecting our environment.”
But environmentalists say the mine could spoil an area known for its scenic beauty and fish and wildlife abundance. They said they are worried about waste discharges from the mine and vessel traffic associated with it.
They are particularly upset about an EPA rule change made in 2002 that allows mine tailings to be defined as relatively benign fill material. That change made it possible for Coeur to get approval from the Corps of Engineers for its plan to dump waste rock into an existing freshwater site called Lower Slate Lake.
“It sets a very bad, very dangerous precedent that says it’s OK to just dump waste into public lakes. It’s a huge step backwards,” said Kat Hall of the Juneau-based Southeast Alaska Conservation Council.
Additionally, Coeur is also still awaiting a permit from the Corps of Engineers for one of its planned marine terminals, said Patty McGrath, regional mining coordinator for EPA.
The wastewater-discharge permit issued by EPA is subject to a 30-day appeals period, she said.
