The Taku River Fact-Finding Task Force uncovered a key fact Saturday: Chieftain would not use the Taku River to barge goods in and out of the Tulsequah Mine Project.
Tulsequah Chief is located 40 miles northeast of Juneau. The mine and nearby Big Bull Mine are owned by Chieftain Metals Inc. and are located in British Columbia.
“You pretty much answered all my questions by saying you’re not going to barge,” Task Force member Cherie Rudolph said.
Juneau’s legislative delegation first created the task force in response to Chieftain Metals Inc. barging materials on the Taku to build a water treatment facility for the Tulsequah Mine.
Chieftain’s financial backers told the mining company it had to build a road to receive funding. To use barges would be impractical, the company said.
“It had everything to do with sitting in front of the bankers and saying you know we want to build a mine, and they said If you think you’re doing it with hover barges we’re not giving you money,” Terry Byberg, Vice President, Mining for Chieftain Metals Inc.
The road would start both from Atlin and the mine site. The mine operator would build the two ends together. Material to build the mine-side road will be barged up the Taku. This would constitute 15 to 20 trips. For this Chieftain will use 100-ton barges. Chieftain said these would be the final trips.
The next meeting of the Taku Task Force will take place Jan. 13 at 5 p.m., location to be determined.
• Contact reporter Russell Stigall at 523-2276 or at russell.stigall@juneauempire.com.
Comments (5)
Add commentThis is a big deal!
If a road can go through from Atlin to the mine, what's to stop a road from Juneau to the mine...and on to Atlin? This would be a helluva lot cheaper than that white elephant going up Lynn Canal.
Where is the First Nation with this? They were opposed to a road in the past.
SEACC and Thane.
That's a start of the obstacles, Lat. Then there's Taku property owners, Cheiftain Metals and the Canadian government. First Nations get a road to the future for free. And I know how bent out of shape you get about Nome's native corporation and Goldbelt getting free access. You've said that right here. So why do you care? It ain't your taxes. You raise Cain about one mining company benefiting from a road but it's alright if another mining company builds one for you. Mining companies don't usually let the public drive on their haul roads, anyway.
Actually, skirkz...
...I wasn't bent out about Nome getting free government services. What I was highlighting was the hypocrisy of the position you conservatives take about government constitutional limits and deficits, and then trumpeting the need for the government to break ice for Nome...don't think that's in the Constitution, is it?
Regarding the West Douglas road, as long as there's a benefit to the citizens of Juneau to justify that road, or the second bridge, I'm fine with it. But simply accessing Goldbelt's property...not so much.
As far as the First Nations are concerned, I don't have an issue. But as I recall, they were the ones stopping any road access in the past. Is that still their position?
If a road is a realistic possibility, both politically and financially, I'm all for it. The road up Lynn Canal was always a fantasy financially.
Question: If a road up the Taku goes in, what happens to ferry service to Haines and Skagway?
now what
So is the task force going to keep working on other boat traffic running up and down the river or is this it? I think the purpose of the task force was targetted against one user. Wish something could have been viable for that mine using a combination of road/boats to work out of Juneau. When previous mine owner Redfern had their public meetings they estimated spending over 20 million a year in Juneau. I guess we can kiss all that goodbye. And why not build a road to Atlin from Juneau? This route got shot down in the past but it would not be that hard to build. There is an old overgrown road from Canada that ends near Taku Glacier. So its not like it is a new idea.
with friends like this...
Apparently Capt'n Noah was not one of the tug operators that got stiffed when Red Fern went bankrupt along with many other businesses here in Juneau to the tune of over $1,000,000. No to mention the $100,000 spent by the state agencies trying to permit this burrito in the punch bowl.