JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Marking a significant permitting milestone in the progress of the Donlin gold project, in Alaska, towards production, the US Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) has published the project’s draft environmental-impact statement (DEIS), opening the process up for public comment.
Operator Donlin Gold was equally co-owned by Canada-based miners Barrick Gold Corp and NovaGold Resources, while the land was owned by community organisation The Kuskokwim Corporation (TKC) and Alaska Native corporation for the Yukon–Kuskokwim region, the Calista Corporation, which owned the mineral rights.
Following the filing of the DEIS, the Corps was now expected to issue a schedule for public meetings on the statement in the coming weeks, accept written comments until the close of the five-month comment period at the end of April 2016 and review and respond to all comments on the DEIS in a final EIS, which would be published in 2017.
“The release of the DEIS marks another positive step for Calista Corporation and our shareholders,” commented Calista Corporation president and CEO Andrew Guy.
“As an Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) corporation, Calista must meet two key goals: to successfully operate as a profitable business and to provide socioeconomic benefits to our shareholders.
“The advancement of this project can allow Calista to meet both ANCSA goals by providing an opportunity to develop partnerships for future low-cost energy, in addition to meaningful employment opportunities for shareholders and a revenue stream for Calista,” he said.
TKC president and CEO Maver Carey added that Donlin Gold's continued presence in the region over the past two decades and the partnership that had been developed between the two parties through the updated surface use agreement, represented “tremendous” opportunities for the shareholders of the ten local villages and the broader Yukon-Kuskokwim community.
“It has the potential to create jobs and financial benefits for TKC and the people in the region, allowing them to continue living off this land for generations to come,” he maintained.
NovaGold president and CEO Greg Lang, meanwhile, encouraged the local community to take advantage of the public comment period.
“The project could create a unique incentive for people to return to their region by generating economic growth that is consistent with traditional ways of life. With this opportunity in mind, we encourage the local communities in the Yukon–Kuskokwim region and other interested parties to be active participants in the public meetings,” he appealed.
In addition to further advancing the DEIS, Donlin Gold had also advanced a number of other key permits, including the Public Notice for the Clean Water Act Section permit application, which had already been issued by the Corps.
The Air Quality and Integrated Waste Management permit applications had been submitted to the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, while lease applications had also been submitted to the Alaska Department of Natural Resources.