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Mining Activity in Southeast Alaska
Current Mining Activity in Southeast Alaska
On this page:
Producing hard rock mines
Hard rock mines under construction
Exploration and other activity
Also see:
Producing Hardrock Mines
Greens Creek Mine: The Greens Creek Mine is owned by Hecla Mining Company and produces silver, zinc, gold, and lead. Despite the fact it is located within a National Monument where strict environmental standards apply, the mine has had issues with acid and heavy metal pollution. According to the EPA, the mine is Alaska’s second largest producer of toxic waste. For more information, check out High Stakes for the Fortress of the Bears.
Hardrock Mines Under Construction
New Kensington Links:
Kensington Mine Supreme Court Update.
Dispelling myths about the Kensington Mine.
Tailings disposal options for Kensington Mine.
Owned by Coeur d’Alene Mines, the Kensington would be an underground gold mine. SEACC and our allies were successful in stopping Kensington’s plans to dump its toxic tailings into lake perched above Berners Bay, an amazing natural area. The 9th Circuit Court determined the plan violates the Clean Water Act. SEACC has worked to protect Berners Bay by pushing for a land disposal of tailings that is outside of the Berners Bay watershed. Coeur has applied for permits for this new “Paste Tailings” plan. To learn more about beautiful Berners Bay, check out Berners Bay - A Treasure Worth Saving.
Tulsequah Chief Mine: Redcorp Ventures is bankrupt after
pushing to reopen the Tulsequah Chief Mine, an abandoned mine just
across the BC-Alaska border.
The mine has been leaking acid and toxic heavy metals into the Taku watershed for decades. Its plan to use an amphibious tug boat and a hovercraft like barge to access the mine via the Taku River were unable to get permits from the State of Alaska.
These barges would have carried supplies and hazardous materials up and down one of Southeast Alaska's most productive salmon rivers. The corporation could not adequately answer questions about potential negative impacts on salmon and interference with the Taku gillnet fleet.
Disputes over back payments to its contractors and a lack of progress on safely getting up the river contributed to the corporation's bankruptcy.
For more information, check out Taku and Stikine, Southeast's Big Fish Rivers.
Everything under control on the Taku? This is a RedCorp barge and tug on the Taku in 2008.
Proposed Hardrock Mines
Poorman Mine: The Poorman Magnetite (iron) Project is an open-pit strip mine being proposed by Eagle Industrial Minerals near the village of Kasaan on Prince of Wales Island. The mine site lies less than a mile from town. The project plans to blast and strip 750,000 to 1,000,000 tons of low-grade ore each year for export overseas. Read more about this mine.
Galore Creek Mine: After receiving approval for this large
open-pit gold, copper, and silver mine near the Scud River in British
Columbia, NovaGold Resources and Teck Cominco halted development
because of rising construction costs. The corporations underestimated
construction costs by around 3 billion dollars. A large part of the
construction expenses involve a massive tailings dam. The Galore Creek
Mine would produce around 500 million tons of toxic and acidic material
to be kept behind a 900 ft tall dam. If that dam were to fail the
pollution would drain into the Stikine. The cumulative impacts this
mine and other developments would have on the Stikine River is a major
concern.
Schaft Creek Mine: CopperFox Metals is in the
planning phase for development of this copper, gold, moylbdenum and
silver deposit. The large open pit and tailings waste this mine could
pollute the Stikine River.
Other Activity
Yakutat D-1 Lands: The Bureau of Land Management is planning to open 215,000 acres of land around Yakutat to mining and drilling. The proposed plan has been opposed by the borough and a coalition of national, state, and regional environmental groups. For more information, read our recent fact sheet.
Salt Chuck: Research is being done to determine what type of clean up is needed to contain pollution at this abandoned mine owned by Pure Nickel. Exploration activities are also occurring at this site.
Mineral Exploration
Bokan Uranium: Landmark Alaska is prospecting around this abandoned uranium mine that is contaminated with gamma radiation. For more information, please take a look at Bokan Mountain Uranium Exploration: Things You Should Know.
Duke Island: Avalon Development is exploring for precious metals.
Herbert Glacier: Quaterra Alaska is exploring for precious metals.
Hollis-Craig: Full Metal Minerals is exploring for precious metals.
Kasaan: Full Metal Minerals is exploring for precious metals.
Niblack: Niblack Mining is doing advanced exploration for precious metals. The operations involve tunneling, drilling, and storage of acid producing waste and fuels.
Palmer: Constantine Metal Resources Ltd.’s exploration for precious metals in the Upper Chilkat Valley.
Wowoedski: BravoVentures is exploring a massive sulfide deposit for metals.
Zarembo: Small scale exploration for precious metals.
Placer Mining
Yakataga Placer: Beach placer mining
Schnabel Placer: Haines area placer operation.
Grizzly Bar: Bulk sampling for potential placer mining.
