Skip to content

Warning: Javascript is disabled.
For full functionality and best experience on our site, it is necessary to enable JavaScript.
Here is instructions to enable JavaScript in your web browser

Back to Top

Alaska Department of Natural Resources Division of Mining, Land and Water

banner image of landscape

Donlin Gold Project

Project Description

Donlin Gold, LLC (Donlin) has proposed to develop a large open pit, hardrock gold mine located approximately 10 miles north of Crooked Creek, Alaska, which is located on the shores of the Kuskokwim River, in southwest Alaska (277 miles west of Anchorage and 145 miles northeast of Bethel). The deposit is situated on Native lands owned by The Kuskokwim Corporation (surface estate) and Calista Corporation (subsurface estate).

Donlin is owned on a 50/50 basis held by Barrick and NovaGold and will be responsible for overseeing the proposed mine project.

Donlin's preferred design for the project anticipates a throughput of approximately 59,000 tons per day. Donlin's proposal to power the mine includes a 14-inch diameter, 315 mile natural gas pipeline that would start in Beluga, Alaska, pass through the Alaska Range, and continue on to the mine site. For further information on the pipeline please visit the State Pipeline Coordinator's Section (SPCS) website.

Donlin estimates that the project will take between 3 to 4 years to construct, with a projected mine life of approximately 27 1/2 years, and is estimated to produce (on average) approximately one million ounces of gold per year.

On July 26th, 2012 Donlin submitted a Section 404 permit application to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). The submittal of the 404 permit application triggered the development of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) as required under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The State of Alaska is a cooperating agency during the development and review of the EIS. On April 27, 2018, a Notice of Availability for the Final EIS was published in the Federal Register. The Final EIS provides federal agency decision-makers with the scientific basis for their permitting decisions. To view the Final EIS and for further information on the 404 permit and NEPA process please visit http://www.donlingoldeis.com/. A joint Record of Decision (ROD) was issued by the USACE and Bureau of Land Management on August 13, 2018.

Donlin Gold Project Public Scoping

As part of the mine development effort Donlin has applied to install a number of structures or facilities on state lands in support of the project, including port and airstrip facilities, an access road, a fiber optic telecommunications cable, material sites, temporary access routes and construction camps. Donlin has also requested to restrict public easements located within the proposed mine area. Some of the requested authorizations could involve reclassifying currently classified lands, classifying lands that are currently unclassified, and classifying lands outside of an area plan which currently have no classification. A list of the applications received by Southcentral Regional Office (SCRO) at the time of this notice can be found below along with maps of the project area.

SCRO conducted a public scoping notice from August 31, 2016 to October 17, 2016. The purpose of the scoping notice was to make the public aware of the applications received by SCRO and solicit public input that will be considered during the adjudication process. SCRO received eight comments during the scoping period, which can be seen through the link below.

If you would like to receive notifications from SCRO regarding the processing of these applications, you can subscribe to a contact list at the link provided below. Note that you will only be added to SCRO's contact list for this project and your contact information will not be added to other State of Alaska, federal or local agency distribution lists regarding the proposed Donlin Gold Mine.

Permits, Approvals and Authorizations

Department of Fish and Game (F & G)

United States Army Corps of Engineers and BLM

Archives

Public Notices

Contact

Faith Martineau
Executive Director
Alaska Department of Natural Resources
Office of Project Management & Permitting
550 W 7th Ave, Suite 1430
Anchorage, AK 99501
Telephone: (907) 538-8585
Fax: (907) 269-5673
Email Faith Martineau

For more information about specific SCRO authorizations:
Christianna Colles
SCRO Donlin Project Coordinator
Alaska Department of Natural Resources
Southcentral Regional Office
550 W 7th Ave, Suite 900 C
Anchorage, AK 99501
Telephone: (907) 269-8557
Fax: (907) 269-8913
Email DNR SCRO


Accessibility Privacy Copyright Site Index



Need help finding something?
Public Info Center   

State of Alaska
Department of Natural Resources

550 W. 7th Ave, Suite 1360
Anchorage, AK 99501-3557
Phone: (907) 269-8400
Fax: (907) 269-8901
TTY: (907) 269-8411