Kensington Gold Mine
News & Announcements
Public Notice
DRAFT Waste Management Permit No. 2013DB0002 for Coeur Alaska, Inc.
Alaska's Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), Division of Water has tentatively determined to reissue an integrated Waste Management Permit to Coeur Alaska for the management of solid and liquid wastes from the Kensington Mine. The mine produces approximately 1,450 tons of ore and 500 tons of development rock per day. This permit authorizes the disposal of wastewater and approximately 4.5 million tons of tailings to the Tailings Treatment Facility (TTF) and 3 million tons of tailings underground. The TTF was formerly Lower Slate Lake covering 20 acres. At mine closure, the TTF is proposed to be approximately 61.8 acres contained behind a 90-foot-high rock fill dam.
The 30-day Public Notice Period runs from
8/9/2013 to 9/9/2013
Written comments on the proposed Permit are invited. Also open to public comment are the following DEC approved plans referenced in the draft permit:
- Final Plan of Operations for the Kensington Gold Project, May 2005 (Coeur Alaska Inc.)
- Appendix 4a – TTF Monitoring Plan
- Appendix 4b – Fresh Water Monitoring Plan / Figures
- Appendix 4e – Quality Assurance Plan
- Integrated Waste Management and Disposal Plan Kensington Gold Mine, April 2010
(SRK Consulting (USA), Inc.) - Kensington Gold Mine Storm Water Land Infiltration System Daily Operations Manual of Best Management Practices, November 2009. (Coeur Alaska Inc.)
- Reclamation and closure plan update for the Kensington Gold Project, Borough of Juneau, Alaska, April 2013. (KC Harvey, Environmental, LLC.)
- Tailings Treatment Facility – ARD Remediation Plan, Revision 1, June 10, 2013
Details for the public comment process are presented in the Public Notice. Permit documents can also be accessed from the ADEC Wastewater Discharge Authorization website under the Public Notice section.
DEADLINE FOR WRITTEN COMMENTS:
September 9, 2013 at 5:00 pm AKST
ISSUED May 3, 2013
Alaska Department of Natural Resources
Kensington Gold Mine Reclamation Plan Approval J20133158
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service
Approval letter of the April 2013 Kensington Reclamation Plan Update
and reclamation cost estimate
Support Document:
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)
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.
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
- Temporary Water Use Permit TWUP J2012-01 (effective 3/1/2012)
- Final ACMP consistency determinations
Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)
- APDES Permit No. AK0050571 (2011)
-
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
- 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)
Amendment B (8/28/2009)
- Public Notice for POA-1990-592-M6, Lynn Canal (2009)
- USACOE 404 Permit POA-1990-592-M, Lynn Canal (2005)
2011 APDES Permit Public Notice Archive
Archive of prior DEC Inspection Reports
Held July 12, 2013 8:30AM, Juneau DEC 2nd Floor Main Conference Room
Coeur Alaska 2013 PowerPoint Presentation
Aquatic Studies at Kensington Mine 2012 Presentation
Mountain Goat Monitoring Presentation
Kensington Gold Project 2012 Annual Report
Attachments
- Marine Mammal Monitoring Report
- Terrestrial Wildlife Monitoring Report
- Mountain Goat Population Monitoring
Volume 1: Aquatic Studies at Kensington Mine, 2012[ADFG Technical Report No. 12-10]
Archive of prior Annual Meetings and Reports
For More Information Contact
Juneau, AK 99801
Fax: (907) 586-2954
