Project Description
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 2017, approximately 640,903 tons of ore were mined, with 673,152 tons of ore processed through the mill facility. Approximately 19,122 tons of concentrate were shipped to an off-site refinery producing approximately 117,285 ounces of gold. At the end of 2017, Coeur Alaska employed 379 people.
Financial Assurance
Permits, Authorizations, and Approvals
Alaska Department of Natural Resources
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Kensington Gold Mine Reclamation Plan Approval J20133158
PDF
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Kensington Gold Mine Reclamation Plan Approval J20133158 Extension
PDF (4/25/2018)
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Certificate to Operate a Dam
PDF (FY2015-13-AK00308)
Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)
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DEC Waste Management Permit 2013DB0002
PDF
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APDES Permit No. AK0050571
PDF (2017)
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APDES Permit No. AK0050571 Fact Sheet
PDF (2017)
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APDES Permit No. AK0050571 Response to Comments
PDF (2017)
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service
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2016 Surface Exploration Decision Memo
PDF
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2014 Kensington Fuel Depot Decision Notice and Finding of No Significant Impact
PDF -
Approval letter of the April 2013 Kensington Reclamation Plan Update and reclamation cost estimate
PDF
Alaska Department of Natural Resources (DNR)
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Final Finding and Decision - Cascade Point tideline lease
PDF
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Final Finding and Decision - Slate Cove tideland lease
PDF
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Finding and Decision - Jualin Mine Road public access
PDF
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Land Use Permit LAS 24488 - Jualin Mine Road
PDF
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Reclamation Plan Approval
PDF (6/3/2005)
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December 26, 2012 Approval extension to June 30, 2013
PDF
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July 24, 2012 Approval extension to Dec 31, 2012
PDF
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March 6, 2012 Approval extension to Jun 30, 2012
PDF
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June 23, 2011 Approval extension to Dec 31, 2011
PDF
- Final Water Rights Authorizations
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Temporary Water Use Authorization TWUA F2018-116
PDF (effective 8/28/2018)
- Final ACMP consistency determinations
Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)
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DEC Waste Management Permit 2013DB0002
PDF
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APDES Permit No. AK0050571
PDF (2011)
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DEC 401 Certification - Cascade Pt. Marine Terminal USACE 404 Permit POA-1997-245-2
PDF (2005)
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DEC 401 Certificate of Reasonable Assurance extension - Lynn Canal USACE 404 Permit POA-1990-592-M6
PDF (2010)
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 USACE 404 Permit POA-1990-592-M
PDF (2005)
Note: This functioned as both the DEC 401 Cert and the DEC Waste Management Permit for the facility
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DEC 401 Certificate of Reasonable Assurance - Lynn Canal USACE 404 Permit POA-1990-592-M
Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADFG)
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Fish Habitat Permit FH05-I-0050 Amendment C - Lower Slate Lakes Tailings
PDF (6/10/2013)
Note: Replaces FH05-I-0050 (5/6/2005), Amendment A (4/19/2007), and Amendment B (8/28/2009) -
Fish Habitat Permit FH11-I-0128, 0129, 0130 - Johnson Creek Bridges & Water Use
PDF (2/13/2012)
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Fish Habitat Permit FH11-I-0134A and 0135A - Sherman Creek Bridges
PDF (2/13/2012)
Includes Amendment A (3/3/2016) -
Fish Habitat Permit FH15-I-0038, 0039, 0040 - Water withdrawals
PDF (3/26/2015)
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Fish Habitat Permit FH17-I-0007 - Upper Slate Lake
PDF (2/7/2017)
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACOE)
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Public Notice for POA-1990-592-M6, Lynn Canal
PDF (2009)
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USACOE 404 Permit POA-1990-592-M, Lynn Canal
PDF (2005)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
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DEC Waste Management Permit 2013DB0002
Support Documents
Drawings
- 1 - Existing Disturbance (PDF)
- 2 - Proposed Facilities (PDF)
- 3 - Disturbance Boundaries (PDF)
2004 Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (Dec 2004)
1997 Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (Aug 1997)
1992 Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (Jan 1992)
Inspection Reports
- April 18, 2017 USDA (PDF)
- March 22, 2017 USDA (PDF)
- February 8, 2017 USDA (PDF)
- February 8, 2017 (PDF)
- December 29, 2016 USDA (PDF)
- December 14, 2016 USDA (PDF)
- October 27, 2016 USDA (PDF)
- September 15, 2016 USDA (PDF)
- August 15, 2016 USDA (PDF)
- July 6, 2016 USDA (PDF)
Archive of prior Inspection Reports
2013 Reclamation and Closure Plan Update for the Kensington Gold Project, Borough of Juneau, Alaska (April 2013) (PDF)- Appendix A Reclamation Cost Estimate - Kensington Gold Project (PDF)
- Appendix B Kensington Project Tailings Storage Facility Consolidation Testing & Modeling (PDF)
- Appendix C Kensington Project Tailing Storage Facility Design Figures (PDF)
- Appendix D Monitoring and Maintenance Cost Tables (PDF)
- Appendix E Private Land Owner's Statement (PDF)
- Appendix F List of Mining Claims associated with the Kensington Gold Project (PDF)
- Appendix G Post Closure Water Quality Standard and Monitoring (PDF)
Response to Comments on State of Alaska Authorizations 2005 (PDF)
Five-Year Environmental Audit
Environmental Compliance and Management Systems Audit
- 2017 Final Report (PDF)
Annual Meetings and Annual Reports
2018 Annual Agency Meeting
June 20, 2018 10:00AM-3:30PM
DEC Juneau Offices (410 Willoughby Ave) 2nd Floor Main Conference Room
Teleconference number: 1-800-791-2345
Login code: 75434#
Meeting Agenda
PDF
2017 Annual Reports
Attachment 2: 2017 Terrestrial Wildlife Monitoring Report of the Slate Lakes Basin, January 2018, Juneau AK
Attachment 3: Mountain Goat Population Monitoring near the Kensington Mine, Alaska - February 2016, ADFG
Attachment 4: 2017 Revegetation Test Plot Monitoring Data
Mountain goat population monitoring and movement patterns near the Kensington Mine, Alaska - March 2018, ADFG
PDF
Waste Management Permit No. 2013DB0002 2017 Annual Report 4Q 2017 Report
PDF
APDES 2017 Reporting
Volume 1: Aquatic Studies at Kensington Gold Mine, 2017, ADFG Technical Report No. 18-02
PDF
Volume 2: Water Quality 2017
PDF
For More Information Contact:
State of Alaska Large Mine Permitting Team
Kyle Moselle
Associate Director
Alaska Department of Natural Resources
Office of Project Management and Permitting
Phone:(907) 465-6849
Fax: (907) 465-3886
Email
Mail to:
P.O. Box 111020
Juneau, AK 99801
Visit at:
400 Willoughby Ave., 4th Floor
Juneau, AK 99801