Page 29 - NG_AR_2017_022818

Alaska Native groups predominantly define themselves by their cultural traditions of collecting, processing, and distributing natural resources.
Another concern is the well-being of the region’s salmon population. It’s always been our belief that salmon and mining are compatible, and that Alaska needs both for the prosperity of the state and its people. This has been consistently proven by responsible mining and other natural resource development throughout the state. Put simply, you need income to buy resources to subsist (e.g. shing gear, trucks, ATVs, snow machines, tools). Given lower federal and state budgets, the development of additional mines, especially in remote areas such as the Y-K region, is essential to sustainable economic growth.
Donlin Gold has approached development and operations in a sustainable and environmentally responsible manner, demonstrating a commitment to protecting not only salmon but other subsistence resources that are important to the peoples’ food security, way of life, and culture.
Donlin Gold has consistently worked to ensure that the project design avoids or minimizes potential impacts to anadromous sh habitat. Protective design features include:
f Limiting the mine site’s permanent footprint to two tributaries, thereby avoiding direct e ects on the Crooked Creek main channel.
f Providing for cyanide destruction prior to discharge to the tailings storage facility (TSF).
f Proposing a state-of-the-art TSF design, including downstream dam construction, geosynthetic liner, and dry closure.
f Advanced water treatment to ensure that the most stringent water quality standards to protect aquatic life are always met at the discharge point.
f Limiting fuel barging through inclusion of the natural gas pipeline; using double-hulled barges and other best management practices to minimize fuel spill risk.
Both the state and the Corps are mandated by existing
law and regulation to require Donlin Gold to minimize e ects
on aquatic habitat to the maximum extent practicable. Where impacts are unavoidable, they require development of e ective mitigation measures which, once implemented, will be monitored to demonstrate their success. We are committed to ensuring that Donlin Gold causes no substantive potential impacts to anadromous sh in the Kuskokwim River watershed.
Donlin Gold remains committed to continuing constructive dialogue with residents, regulatory agencies, and other interested parties to further avoid, minimize, and mitigate potential impacts from the Donlin Gold project throughout the construction, operation, and closure of the project. Highlights from 2017 include:
f The updated preliminary jurisdictional wetland determination in support of the Clean Water Act Section 404 permit application was accepted by the Corps.
f A compensatory wetland impact mitigation plan for the project was developed and submitted to the Corps.
f The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration published a Public Notice seeking comments on the request for a special permit to construct the natural gas pipeline; the process closed with no substantive comments received.
f Donlin Gold led several revised major state permit applications. The draft water discharge and integrated waste management permits were released for public comment at the end of the year.
f The majority of key state permits and approvals are scheduled to be nalized concurrently with the Corps’ ROD.
27