On August 13, Col. Michael Brooks, commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Alaska District, and
Joe
Balash, U.S. Department of the Interior’s assistant secretary of land and minerals management, sign
the first
joint record of decision nationwide between the Corps and the Bureau of Land Management for the
Donlin Gold
mine project during a signing ceremony at the district headquarters building on Joint Base
Elmendorf-Richardson.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (the
Corps) and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management
(BLM) have issued a single Federal
Record of Decision (ROD) for Barrick
Gold’s Donlin Gold project, located in
Alaska, following completion of the federal
National Environmental Policy Act
process. Along with the ROD, the Corps
issued a combined permit under Section
404 of the Clean Water Act and Section
10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act. Additionally,
the BLM issued the offer to lease
for the right-of-way for those portions of
the natural gas pipeline that would cross
federal lands.
“As one of the largest undeveloped
gold deposits in the world, Donlin Gold
represents exceptional optionality within
our portfolio,” said Rob Krcmarov, executive
vice president, exploration and growth
for Barrick. “Now, with key permits in
hand, we can concentrate on further exploring
ways of reducing initial capital and
unlocking the value of this asset for all of
our partners, in keeping with our deep
commitment to community engagement
and environmental stewardship.”
Greg Lang, NOVAGOLD’s president
and CEO, said the ROD serves as the foundation
for issuance of the federal permits
required for them to build a technically,
environmentally, financially responsible,
and socially sustainable operation.
Donlin Gold has the potential to produce,
on average, more than 1 million
ounces per year over a 27-year mine
life. Donlin Gold LLC is an Alaska-based
company owned equally by NovaGold Resources
and Barrick Gold.
As featured in Womp 2018 Vol 09 - www.womp-int.com