Forest Service Approves Expansion of Juneau-Area Gold Mine

Published at: Mar 02 2022 – 09:49 / Updated at: Mar 02 2022 – 09:49

The U.S. Forest Service last week green-lit an expansion of operations at Coeur Alaska’s Kensington Mine near Juneau, APM reports.

It amends the mine’s 2005 plan of operations which it says would be necessary to extend the life of the gold mine for a minimum of 10 years.

The plan calls for — among other things — raising the main tailings dam by 36 feet and more than doubling the mine’s waste storage capacity in what were once two freshwater lakes about 45 miles north of downtown Juneau.

The Forest Service also allows the gold mine to increase its daily rate of production from 2,000 to 3,000 tons per day as part of its regulatory review.

Kensington Mine began producing gold in 2010. It employs about 350 people, making it one of the largest private sector employers in Southeast Alaska.

The original article can be found on the High North News website