DNR is responsible for coordinating the State
of Alaska's permitting activities for the Greens Creek
lead-zinc-silver-gold mine. The mine is located in Southeast
Alaska on the Northern end of Admiralty Island National Monument,
approximately 25 km South of Juneau. It is situated on federal
land administered by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS). The mine
is a joint venture between Kennecott Minerals and Hecla and is
operated by the Kennecott Greens Creek Mining Company. The company
employs 270 workers and they have an annual payroll of $26 million.
The mine is a significant part of the economy in Southeast Alaska.
Recent efforts by the state's large mine
project team (including personnel from DEC, DF&G, DGC and
DNR) include completing the five-year renewal of the DEC and
DNR bonding requirements. The financial assurances for the project
were increased from approximately $6 million to $24.4 million
in 2002. Current efforts include working as a cooperating agency
with the USFS and EPA on the necessary permits for the expansion
of the tailings facility. An EIS is being completed by the USFS
as part of this permitting process. This expansion will require
the approval of a revised solid waste permit from DEC as well
as additional revisions to the financial assurances.
Final Environmental
Impact Statement
KGCMC General
Plan of Operations, Appendices 1,3,11 & 14
Appendix
1 – Freshwater Monitoring Plan
Appendix
3 – Tailings Impoundment
Appendix
11 – Production Rock Piles
Appendix 11 - Attachment B – Site
Specific Plan – Site 23
Appendix
11 - Attachment C – Inactive Site Monitoring and Maintenance
Plan
Appendix 14 – Reclamation Plan
Appendix
14 – Attachment A1, Reclamation Plan Cost Estimate
Revision dated October 22, 2003
Permits
On November 7, 2003, the Alaska Department of Environmental
Conservation (ADEC) issued waste management permit #0211-BA001 to
Kennecott Greens Creek Mining Company (KGCMC) for the continued disposal
of treated tailings from a zinc, lead, silver and gold recovery facility
to a lease area with an increased footprint to a total of 123.3 acres
(inclusive of disposal area and treatment infrastructure adjacent
to the disposal area) and various portions within the underground
workings of the mine, and the disposal of waste rock (also known
as production rock) to production rock disposal sites 23 and D. The
above-ground tailings facility is projected to accept tailings up
to a final projected total tailings footprint area of 62.2 acres
and total volume of 5.3 million cubic yards (9.6 million tons). The
facility includes a marine outfall with diffuser that is used for
discharge of waters from the facility under a National Pollutant
Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit. The above ground production
rock facility has a total capacity of 1.2 million cubic yards.
ADEC
Waste Management Permit #0211-BA001
National
Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit (NPDES) - AK004320-6
Annual Reports
Tailings and Production Rock
Site
2008 Annual Report
2007 Annual Report
2006 Annual Report
2005 Annual Report
2004 Annual Report
2003 Annual Report
2002 Annual Report
2001 Annual Report
Inactive Production Rock Sites and Quarries
2008 Annual Report
2007 Annual Report
2006 Annual Report
2005 Annual Report
2004 Annual Report
2003 Annual Report
2002 Annual Report
Fresh Water Monitoring Plan
2008 Water Year - October 1, 2007 through September 30, 2008
2007 Water Year - October 1, 2006 through September 30, 2007
2006 Water Year - October 1, 2005 through September 30, 2006
2005 Water Year - October 1, 2004 through September 30, 2005
2004 Water Year - October 1, 2003 through September 30, 2004
2003 Water Year - October 1, 2002 through September 30, 2003
2002 Water Year - October 1, 2001 through September 30, 2002
Aquatic Biomonitoring
2008 Aquatic Biomonitoring Report
2007 Aquatic Biomonitoring Report
2006 Aquatic Biomonitoring Report
2005 Aquatic Biomonitoring Report
2004 Aquatic Biomonitoring Report
2003 Aquatic Biomonitoring Report
2002 Aquatic Biomonitoring Report
2001 Aquatic Biomonitoring Report
2009 Annual Meeting
June 2, 2009 10AM, Juneau DEC 2nd Floor Main Conf. Room
2008 Annual Meeting
July 8, 2008 9am – 4:30pm, Juneau DEC 2nd Floor Main Conf. Room
ADEC Inspection
Reports
November 18, 2008
August 21, 2008
July 31, 2008
May 28, 2008
May 5, 2008
March 07, 2008
October 11, 2007
May 16, 2006
November 30, 2005
June 27, 2005
April 14, 2005
November 23, 2004
May 26, 2004
August 21, 2003
November 4, 2002
January 16, 2002
July 31, 2001
KGCMC Reports
April 18,
2005 - Pond 7 Hydrology Report, Environmental Design Engineering
Consultants (EDE) - Hard Copy (on request)
January
7, 2005 - Engineering Assessment of Production Rock Sites 23 & D
(Klohn Crippen) - Hard Copy (on request)
February
5, 2002 - Stage II Tailings Expansion Hydrological Analysis,
Environmental Design Engineering Consultants (EDE)
Contact for the States' Large Mine Team:
Tom Crafford
Mining Coordinator
Alaska Department of Natural Resources
Office of Project Management and Permitting
550 West 7th Avenue, Suite 900D
(907) 269-8629
Email: tom.crafford@alaska.gov
Contact
for copy of DEC Waste Management Permit:
Ed Emswiler
Solid Waste Program
DEC Division of Environmental Health
410 Willoughby Avenue, Suite 303
PO Box 111800
Juneau, Alaska 99811-1800
Telephone: (907) 465-5353 Fax Number:(907) 465-5164
Email: ed.emswiler@alaska.gov
Contact
for Greens Creek Tailings Disposal final EIS
and KGCMC General Plan of Operations
and other USDA Forest Service Documents:
Jeff DeFreest
USDA Forest Service
8510 Mendenhall Loop Road
Juneau, Alaska 99801
Telephone: (907) 586-8800 Fax Number: (907) 586-8808
Email: jdefreest@fs.fed.us
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