The mining newspaper for Alaska and Canada's North
The mining newspaper for Alaska and Canada's North
Sorted by date Results 301 - 324 of 324
Alaska environmental regulators have cited the Kensington Mine for alleged water-quality violations caused by erosion and runoff at its construction site. Mine developer Coeur Alaska has until Nov. 25 to come into compliance with the law, according to the citation issued Nov. 10. Failing to comply could lead to civil penalties, or if the mine is found to be criminally negligent, as much as $200,000 in fines, state officials said Nov. 10. The violation notice stems from a Nov. 3 inspection that was prompted by complaints from...
Coeur d'Alene's Kensington gold mine near Juneau will generate $1.9 million in mining license taxes, $3.4 million in corporate income taxes and $6.3 million in local property taxes over its 10-year life, the State of Alaska estimates in its motion to intervene in federal litigation over one of the project's permits. The Southeast Alaska Conservation Council, the Sierra Club and Lynn Canal Conservation filed the lawsuit against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Forest Service. The environmentalists object to Coeur...
Kensington General Manager Tim Arnold has at last been able to update his presentation to report on real construction. Until now the talk was all about planned timelines, but with all the permits in the bag for Coeur d'Alene's gold project near Juneau, things are happening. Since work began in late June, logging on the mill and camp sites has been completed, the widening of the main access road is well under way and the temporary dock facility has been installed. "I'm not actually a construction guy," Arnold told the... Full story
There was hardly time to pour the champagne before putting on the hard hats. Within days of receiving their final permit in late June, Coeur d'Alene was moving equipment to start work on construction of the Kensington gold mine near Juneau. The first task is to make sure the ecology is taken care of, according to Tim Arnold, Coeur Alaska's vice president and general manager of the project. Coeur is currently mobilizing all the clearing and grubbing equipment and installing silt fences for sediment control. Next on the list...
In case you have not heard, Alaska's mineral industry is cooking! Over the last month two new companies have acquired mineral properties in Alaska and most of the existing projects kicked off their summer programs in earnest. One of Alaska's major mining projects received its final permits to allow mine construction to begin and several others are conducting preliminary and final feasibility studies. Drilling rigs are scarce as hen's teeth and the helicopters to lift them and the people who run them are booked from now until...
As Mining News was going to press on June 15, the U.S. Forest Service announced approval of the modified plan of operations for Coeur Alaska's Kensington Gold Project, an underground gold mine north of Juneau. The mine still needs a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Clean Water Act permit and an Environmental Protection Agency National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit which are expected soon, Alaska Gov. Frank Murkowski's office said June 15.... Full story
The good news from Teryl, Kinross, Geoinformatics, Midas, Geocom and others is tempered by the loss of Alaska's gentleman scientist Ernie Wolff, who passed away on May 3; Liberty Star Gold appoints Phil St. George as VP of exploration s I write this summary of recent activities in Alaska's mining industry I am attending a once-every-five-year symposium in Reno put on by the Geological Society of Nevada. Some 1,500 attendees, mostly exploration geologists, are eagerly lapping up hours of new and previously unheard ideas on... Full story
Idaho-based Coeur d'Alene Mines received its 12 state of Alaska permits for the proposed Kensington underground gold mine in May, and the company expects federal permits to be issued by the end of the second quarter of this year. The targeted construction startup date at the Juneau site is July 1, with production to begin in late 2006. Kensington is designed to produce 100,000 ounces of gold annually, with a mine life of approximately 10 years. "We are confident this project will demonstrate Coeur's leading approach to sound... Full story
On the cusp of what promises to be one of the busiest mineral exploration and development seasons in the last 20 years, the mineral industry is madly preparing its personnel and equipment all across the state. Despite the late season snows and unusually cool temperatures being experienced as this summary is being written, many of Alaska's exploration programs are either under way or will be sometime in early May. Competition for funds within and between companies remains fierce as projects in the U.S., Canada, Europe,...
Many Alaska state legislators have a personal connection with mining, and perhaps none more so than Richard Foster, Nome's Democratic representative. Foster, 58, grew up on his father's mine, 100 miles north of Nome. Today he is glad to see Vancouver-based NovaGold developing its Rock Creek project in his district, but he also regrets the disappearance of "mom and pop" mining operations like the one where he worked as a child. "NovaGold has been very aggressive in trying to develop their gold and also their boundless...
No one shows up late to work at Greens Creek mine. That's because all the employees are in the same boat, from underground miners to top managers - literally. The ferry leaves Juneau's Auke Bay at 5 a.m. and 5 p.m. every day for the 35-minute trip to Admiralty Island, taking the day and night crews back and forth. That doesn't leave a lot of time between shifts before you're back on the boat again, no matter what the weather. "We don't consider the ride rough until the seats begin folding up underneath you," Ron Plantz,...
The proposed Kensington gold mine near Juneau would disrupt Steller sea lion populations but wouldn't jeopardize the species, federal regulators said in a late March finding. The decision by the National Marine Fisheries Service bodes well for Coeur Alaska's proposed Kensington gold mining operation, which wants to use Berners Bay as a transportation corridor for its workers and materials. The finding allows other agencies to complete their permits for the mine. The finding that the mine won't threaten the existence of... Full story
December, January and February are normally a time when the mining industry can stop and catch its collective breath, look into its often cloudy but well-used crystal ball and prepare for the coming year. Not so the last December, January and February! While 2004 results continued to pour in from projects large and small, plans for 2005 are well advanced and in some cases, already in full swing. Metals prices remained strong and even the most pessimistic prognosticators...
Neither the heat and smoke from wildfires, nor excruciatingly low winter temperatures could deter miners from expanding their operations in Alaska this past season. Representatives of several companies described their achievements in the "Development and Mine Operations" session at the Alaska Miners Association convention on Nov. 5. NovaGold Resources' Rock Creek John Odden from NovaGold Resources began with a presentation on Rock Creek, which is located on the Seward Peninsula, seven miles north of Nome. Part of it is on...
A proposal to create Canada's fourth largest gold miner has unraveled, with shareholders of Iamgold rejecting a controversial C$2.3 billion merger with Wheaton River Minerals. Iamgold shareholders voted 58 percent against the plan July 6, reviving what had already been a tangled ownership battle involving two U.S.-based companies. Denver-based Golden Star had previously launched a C$1.1 billion hostile bid for Iamgold and Idaho-based Coeur d'Alene Mining, the largest U.S. silver producer, had offered C$3 billion in cash and...
As anyone can tell you who has tried recently to locate geologists, drill rigs and helicopters, Alaska is not the place to search for any of these commodities. Mineral exploration and development in Alaska is clipping along at a pace not seen in more than five years and in the process, these activities have sucked up just about all of the people, rigs and aircraft in the state. Exploration and development projects are spread from Nome to Ketchikan, the Brooks Range to...
Alaska state and federal regulators overseeing the proposed Kensington Gold Mine project 45 miles northwest of Juneau have released draft permits, public notices and state decisions for public review and comment. Released on June 21 were draft permits for water discharges and wetlands disturbances, released by the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Alaska regulators also released draft decisions for two tideland leases for marine terminal facilities, a temporary road closure, road...
Developers of the Kensington gold project in Southeast Alaska received a solid vote of confidence from Alaska's state government, with nearly unanimous legislative approval of a bill that would allow up to $20 million in tax-exempt bonding for port and tailings impoundment facilities. The bill was passed by the Alaska Legislature in early May and signed into law in early June. It's the first step in a six-month to year-long process of approving bonds issued by the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority for Coeur...
Metals prices remain strong and funding for projects large and small is already in place or nearly so as Alaska prepares for the annual summer exploration dance. Exploration drilling on several winter drilling targets has been completed and summer drilling projects are beginning on several others. Mine permitting issues at Pogo have cast a shadow over the otherwise bright picture of Alaska's mining industry but resolution of this problem is expected sooner rather than later...
State and federal regulatory agencies released a draft version of a supplemental environmental impact statement Jan. 23 for the Kensington underground hard rock gold mine. Project developer Coeur Alaska Inc., a subsidiary of Coeur d'Alene Mines Corp., one of the world's largest silver producers, wants to build mine and mill facilities that would produce approximately 2,000 tons of gold-rich ore per day, requiring a year-round work force of about 225 people. It's the third time agencies have reviewed the Kensington project...
The U.S. Forest Service, lead regulatory agency overseeing the environmental assessment for the Kensington gold project near Juneau, Alaska, has extended the public comment period by 30 days. The move to close public comment submissions sought by the draft supplemental environmental impact statement on April 7, rather than March 8, came on requests from the Environmental Protection Agency and also from a Juneau-based environmental group.EPA requested additional time to evaluate recently received information about the...
State and federal regulatory agencies released a draft version of a supplemental environmental impact statement Jan. 23 for the Kensington underground hard rock gold mine. Project developer Coeur Alaska Inc., a subsidiary of Coeur d'Alene Mines Corp., one of the world's largest silver producers, wants to build mine and mill facilities that would produce approximately 2,000 tons of gold-rich ore per day, requiring a year-round work force of about 225 people. It's the third time agencies have reviewed the Kensington project und... Full story
As in past years, Canada's Fraser Institute (www.fraserinstitute.ca) has released the results of its annual mining investment attractiveness survey for 2003-2004. The survey represents responses from 132 junior mining companies and 27 senior mining companies who rated policy potential issues (regulatory and infrastructure), mineral potential and overall investment attractiveness in 53 political jurisdictions around the globe. The companies participating in the survey accounted for exploration budgets totaling US$642.4... Full story
Information continues to trickle in from 2002 exploration programs around the state with the final tally suggesting exploration expenditures for 2002 will come in at about the same or slightly higher levels as in 2001. As is most years, a few major projects expend the majority of the funds while many smaller projects move either forward toward increased funding or backward to the project bone yard. The big spenders in 2002 will be Donlin Creek, Pebble and Pogo while properties... Full story
