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 2018, approximately 651,515 tons of ore were mined, with 626,419 tons of ore processed through the mill facility. Approximately 19,317 tons of concentrate were shipped to an off-site refinery producing approximately 113,138 ounces of gold. With the addition of the gravity circuit, total gold production for 2018 is approximately 116,770 ounces. Currently, they employ 367 people.
Financial Assurance
Permits, Authorizations, and Approvals
Alaska Department of Natural Resources
-
Kensington Gold Mine Reclamation Plan Approval J20133158
PDF
-
Kensington Gold Mine Reclamation Plan Approval J20133158 Extension
PDF (4/25/2018)
-
Kensington Gold Mine Reclamation Plan Approval J20133158 Extension
PDF (12/5/2018)
-
Certificate to Operate a Dam
PDF (FY2020-2-AK00308)
- Final Finding and Decision - Cascade Point tideline lease
PDF- Final Finding and Decision - Slate Cove tideland lease
PDF- Finding and Decision - Jualin Mine Road public access
PDF- Land Use Permit LAS 24488 - Jualin Mine Road
PDF- Water Rights Authorizations
- Temporary Water Use Authorization TWUA F2018-116
PDF (effective 8/28/2018)Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)
-
DEC Waste Management Permit 2013DB0002
PDF
-
DEC Waste Management Permit 2013DB0002 Reissuance
PDF
-
APDES Minor Modification
PDF (AK0050571)
-
APDES Permit No. AK0050571
PDF (2017)
-
APDES Permit No. AK0050571 Fact Sheet
PDF (2017)
-
APDES Permit No. AK0050571 Response to Comments
PDF (2017)
-
DEC 401 Certification - Cascade Pt. Marine Terminal
PDF (2005)
USACE 404 Permit POA-1997-245-2 -
DEC 401 Certificate of Reasonable Assurance extension - Lynn Canal
PDF (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 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
-
DEC 401 Certificate of Reasonable Assurance - Lynn Canal USACE 404 Permit POA-1990-592-M
Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADFG)
-
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)
-
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)
-
Fish Habitat Permit FH17-I-0007 - Upper Slate Lake
PDF (2/7/2017)
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service
-
2016 Surface Exploration Decision Memo
PDF
-
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
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACOE)
- Final Finding and Decision - Cascade Point tideline lease
Support Documents
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)
Five-Year Environmental Audit
Environmental Compliance and Management Systems Audit
- 2017 Final Report (PDF)
Inspection Reports
- September 23, 2019 USDA (PDF)
- August 21, 2019 USDA (PDF)
- July 17, 2019 USDA (PDF)
- April 24, 2019 USDA (PDF)
- March 21, 2019 USDA (PDF)
- February 19, 2019 USDA (PDF)
Annual Meetings and Annual Reports
2019 Annual Agency Meeting
Alaska Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Offices
4th Floor Main Conference Room
Login code: 75434#
Meeting Agenda PDF
2018 Annual Reports
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:
PO Box 111030
Juneau, AK 99811
Visit at:
400 Willoughby Ave., 4th Floor
Juneau, AK 99801