JUNEAU — In a statement issued this week, U.S. Forest Service Alaska Region Forester Beth Pendleton said an exploratory drilling project in an inventoried roadless area on Admiralty Island in Southeast Alaska has been approved to go forward.
“The Forest Service has approved exploratory drilling in an inventoried roadless area for the Greens Creek Mine,” Pendleton said. “This approval will allow Greens Creek to continue drilling to locate additional resources that could extend the life of the mine.”
The approval came shortly after the Department of Agriculture re-delegated authority to the Forest Service to make a NEPA-based decision and implement the 2012 Greens Creek Mine Exploration Drilling Project.
“Helicopters will transport the drilling rigs, no roads will be constructed or reconstructed and site reclamation will be completed after drilling operations are done,” Pendleton said.
The Greens Creek exploratory drilling will be conducted approximately 20 miles southwest of Juneau within the Admiralty Island National Monument and the Greens Creek Inventoried Roadless Area. The drilling will take place on 11 drill platform sites and the total area affected by the drill pads is 1.25 acres.
NEPA analysis is expected to be complete by mid-March.
Comments (2)
Add commentThis is a huge misuse of our
This is a huge misuse of our public land, it is wealth creation for this mining company and investors at the expense of Alaskan fisheries. Our fisheries creates more jobs and wealth for Alaskans than all the mining operations in Alaska combined.
We also have an ocean acidification problem that is growing. Expanding this operation makes no good sense. Acid leaches from mine tailings right into our water ways and there is no way around this. Mining creates pollution and this is causing ocean acidification.
Acid drainage from this mine will be a source of pollution for Generations to come, what a horrible legacy and burden to leave our kids.
My understanding is that no royalties have been paid to the Federal Treasury from this mine. Folks its just not worth it. Its a misuse of our public land.
These huge mining operations have no right to be here in our State.
A mining claim is a parcel of
A mining claim is a parcel of public land defined by posts driven into the ground in the corners of the parcel by a mining company or an individual.
For a total federal fee of $135 on a 20 to 160 acre claimed parcel (not including local filing fees), the claimant holds rights to mine the metals and minerals there. The federal government has interpreted this right to supercede all other potential uses of public land.
In addition, the claim holder is not required to return any money to U.S. taxpayers for the value of the minerals extracted.