TAKE ACTION (EXTENDED COMMENT PERIOD) to protect our shared home from roading, mining, blasting, and logging -- starting in June!
photo: Derek Poinsette
This beautiful old-growth forest
that LCC members have fought to protect from clearcutting and raw log export is now slated to be shattered with explosives and riddled with roads.
Please take action and submit your comments.
Comments were formerly due Tuesday, May 16th, but your pressure helped extend the deadline until June 3rd!
Expanded Mining and Logging to Begin in June
Constantine has applied for an amendment to their Application for Permit to Mine in Alaska (APMA).
Why? It appears they are exploring areas to put a tailings pile or ponds along the Klehini River.
This exploration is not planned for next year, it is planned for next month - June 2023! Constantine is asking ADNR for an 'amendment' to its permit rather than a new permit for a new project in a new location.
Public notice for this project was insufficient. The public has a right to at least a 90-day comment period window for projects of this scope.
This is a new project in a new location and warrants a new permit, not just an "amendment" to an existing permit.
What is the plan? Overburden drilling is planned for two areas, one north of Glacier Creek called "Plateau" and one south of Glacier Creek called "Klehini." Glacier Creek is the site of the proposed Palmer Project mine. They also plan to do seismic testing using 968 half-pound sticks of dynamite, from June 25 to mid-August, using 484 pounds of dynamite in all.
The Klehini Site is located at the preferred location for a tailings management facility identified in Constantine's Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA). The drill sites straddle Porcupine Road. The Plateau Site is another area being considered in the PEA for a tailings facility.
5.6 miles of new 25' wide "trails" (roads) are planned. This requires logging, much of it in old-growth forest. They would coordinate with the Haines State forester so some of these roads could also serve the Baby Brown timber sale. The Plateau Site would require 12 miles of new road and two bridge crossings, which would become part of the logging infrastructure of the timber sale. If the logging bridge isn't in place over Glacier Creek, Constantine intends to simply drive heavy equipment through anadromous streams. Constantine would need 6 fish habitat permits for stream crossings from ADF&G.
The track-mounted sonic drill rig would need to access each of the 51 proposed drill sites. Each drill pad is 30' X 100'. There would be 20 holes at the Plateau site and 31 at the Klehini site. An estimated 19.59 acres (new) would be disturbed overall. Reclamation for timber would be discussed with the forester. Some drill holes would be left open for monitoring, most reclaimed. 5.24 miles of seismic paths must be cleared of "brush." These paths would be 5-15' wide, seven lines at the Plateau Site and four at the Klehini Site.
Both sites are very close to the Klehini River; less than a half mile, and at low elevation. (see Figure 1 on page 12 of the APMA for the location of the Klehini Site and the Plateau Site)
Water use for overburden drilling would be up to 4,000 gallons/day. Ammonium nitrate fuel oil mixture will be used (but not "in or near water.")
Tailings piles don't belong adjacent to the Klehini River!
This image is from page 12 of the APMA and shows the location of the Klehini and Plateau Sites.
APMA Public Notice and Docs to review (with updated deadline)
ISSUES to consider while writing comments:
What will be the impact of road building, timber cutting, and seismic blasting on wildlife, fish, nesting birds, cultural resources, subsistence values, and residents?
No credible effort to determine answers to these questions has been undertaken by the state.
The public has a right to at least 90-days notice for projects of this scope. The extended deadline is appreciated, but still insufficient to properly respond to a project of this scope.
Please review the attached APMA document and send comments to ADNR. Your comments can be a regular email or a pdf formatted like a letter and should include:
Re: APMA J20195690#1- A Hard Rock Exploration Application Amendment Within the Juneau Mining District- Glacier Creek (extended comment period)
your name and contact information
your relationship with the place (Do you fish, hunt, gather subsistence foods, recreate, enjoy the clean water and scenic beauty, or otherwise utilize the area?)
how the proposed action affect would affect you and your interests
your feedback about the public process
your requests for action
Here are a few draft talking points:
This comment period is only about the proposed activities (road building, seismic blasting, timber cutting), but the amendment application should identify the purpose of the activities because the possibility of a tailings management facility or any other infrastructure at either of the study sites would have long-term impacts to the Klehini/Chilkat Rivers.
Blasting and road-building work would likely restrict residents from access, degrade the forest and river flats, and impact fish habitat and populations.
Noise impacts from seismic blasting have not been considered. What about fish and wildlife, hunters, residents, and nesting birds?
If the work results in the siting of mine tailings piles along the Klehini River, the impacts would multiply and impact downstream Waters of the US.
Mine tailings are toxic to fish, wildlife, and human health, and impacts from toxic runoff can last for hundreds to thousands of years.
Tailings piles would be visible across the road, impairing the scenic beauty of the Chilkat Valley.
Toxic dust clouds could be carried from the tailings piles anywhere the wind blows, impacting homes, gardens, water supplies, health and safety.
Our community needs more information than the application provides.
Constantine/APM/DOWA claims they care about "public relations and community involvement," but those are just words unless they follow up and engage with the community and listen to our concerns.
After more information is provided by Constantine, DNR should extend the deadline for comments or provide another comment period.
Ask DNR for a public meeting in Haines.
The agencies charged with protecting the public interest should do a better job, require that the mining company apply for a new permit, and provide a 90-day public comment period so public comments can meaningfully inform the decision on the permit.
Be sure to request a 90-day extension and a new permit application, not just an amendment.
Send your comments to the following addresses:
Sara Church, Telephone (907) 458-6896; Fax: (907) 451-2703
e-mail: dnr.fbx.mining@alaska.gov
'cc' the following:
Representative.Andi.Story@akleg.gov
Thank you for helping us apply pressure!
And thank you for your ongoing support.