Natural Resources State of Alaska

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The Kensington Gold Mine is an underground long hole stoping and drift-and-fill operation using flotation processes to recover gold. The mine is located in southeast Alaska, in the Tongass National Forest between Berners Bay and Lynn Canal, approximately 45 air miles north of Juneau and 35 air miles south of Haines. It is situated on private and U.S. Forest Service lands within the City and Borough of Juneau and access to the mine is by air or sea. The project is operated by Coeur Alaska, Inc. (Coeur), a wholly owned subsidiary of Coeur d'Alene Mines Corporation. The major Kensington Mine facilities include the Kensington underground mine, underground paste backfill plant, surface mill, tailings treatment facility, administrative and camp facilities, generator facilities, water treatment facilities, and marine dock facility. Power is supplied by on-site diesel generators. The mine was originally permitted in 2005, and operates 24-hours a day, 365 days a year. In 2012, Kensington produced approximately 82,100 ounces of gold. As of 2012, Coeur employs approximately 306 people.

Alaska Department of Natural Resources
Kensington Gold Mine Reclamation Plan Approval J20133158
Certificate to Operate a Dam (FY2013-11-AK00308)

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service
Approval letter of the April 2013 Kensington Reclamation Plan Update
and reclamation cost estimate

Support Document:

2013 Reclamation and Closure Plan Update for the Kensington Gold Project,
Borough of Juneau, Alaska (April 2013)

Financial Assurance

• FS Surety Bond Acceptance Letter dated 24 July 2013
• Reclamation Surety Bond Summary Letter dated 28 June 2013
• FS/DNR/DEC Reclamation/Closure/Post-Closure Bonding MOU (June 2012)
• FS/DNR Reclamation Bond Cooperative Management Agreement (2005)

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Response to Comments on State of Alaska Authorizations 2005

Alaska Department of Natural Resources (DNR)

• Final Finding and Decision - Cascade Point tideline lease
• Final Finding and Decision - Slate Cove tideland lease
• Finding and Decision - Jualin Mine Road public access
• Land Use Permit LAS 24488 - Jualin Mine Road
• Reclamation Plan Approval (6/3/2005)
• December 26, 2012 Approval extension to June 30, 2013
• July 24, 2012 Approval extension to Dec 31, 2012
• March 6, 2012 Approval extension to Jun 30, 2012
• June 23, 2011 Approval extension to Dec 31, 2011
• Final Water Rights Authorizations
• LAS 24432 - Johnson Creek
• LAS 24486 - Lower Slate Lakes tailings impoundment
• Temporary Water Use Permit TWUP J2012-01 (effective 3/1/2012)
• Final ACMP consistency determinations
• AK 0406-13J - Kensington Mine
• AK 0406-14J - Cascade Point Breakwater and Dock

Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)

• DEC Waste Management Permit 2013DB0002
• APDES Permit No. AK0050571 (2011)
  • DEC Certificate of Reasonable Assurance for NPDES AK0050571 (2005)
• DEC 401 Certification - Cascade Pt. Marine Terminal (2005)
  USACE 404 Permit POA-1997-245-2
  
• DEC 401 Certificate of Reasonable Assurance extension - Lynn Canal (2010)
  USACE 404 Permit POA-1990-592-M6
  Note: In this action DEC separated the 401 Cert from the DEC Waste Mgmt Permit (WMP) and also issued an administrative extension of the WMP
  • DEC 401 Certificate of Reasonable Assurance - Lynn Canal (2005)
    USACE 404 Permit POA-1990-592-M
    Note: This functioned as both the DEC 401 Cert and the DEC Waste Management Permit for the facility

Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADFG)

• Fish Habitat Permit FH05-I-0047 - Johnson Creek Bridge #1 (5/6/2005)
• Fish Habitat Permit FH05-I-0048 - Johnson Creek Bridge #2 (5/6/2005)
• Fish Habitat Permit FH05-I-0049 - Johnson Creek Infiltration Gallery (5/6/2005)
• Fish Habitat Permit FH05-I-0050 - Lower Slate Lakes Tailings (5/6/2005)
includes Amendment A (4/19/2007)
Amendment B (8/28/2009)

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACOE)

• Public Notice for POA-1990-592-M6, Lynn Canal (2009)
• USACOE 404 Permit POA-1990-592-M, Lynn Canal (2005)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

• NPDES Permit

2011 APDES Permit Public Notice Archive

• Volume I (31 MB)
• Volume II (46 MB)

• Volume I (2 MB)
• Volume II (13 MB)

• Volume I (35 MB)
• Volume II (27 MB)

• September 17, 2013 USDA
• August 21, 2013 USDA
• July 16, 2013 USDA
• July 11, 2013
• June 25, 2013 and July 16, 2013 DNR
• June 18, 2013
• June 11, 2013 DNR
• May 30 2013 USDA

Archive of prior Inspection Reports

Kensington Gold Project 2012 Annual Report

Attachments

1. Marine Mammal Monitoring Report
2. Terrestrial Wildlife Monitoring Report
3. Mountain Goat Population Monitoring

Volume 1: Aquatic Studies at Kensington Mine, 2012[ADFG Technical Report No. 12-10]

• Appendices

Volume 2: Water Quality 2012

• Tables and Figures

Archive of prior Annual Meetings and Reports

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