PUBLIC NOTICE
December 13, 2011
Renewal Application and Draft State Decisions
30-day Public Comment
Pogo is an underground gold mine located on state land 38 miles northeast of Delta Junction, Alaska and 85 miles east-southeast of Fairbanks, Alaska. The project applicant, Sumitomo Metal Mining Pogo LLC, has updated the mine’s Plan of Operations and supporting documents for the current operation and requested the renewal of its DNR Plan of Operations Approval and DEC Waste Management Permit.
On December 13, 2011 the State of Alaska released for a 30-day public review and comment period application renewal documents for Pogo’s existing mining operation and two draft state decisions. These documents are posted below. Further information on how to comment can be found below, or in the newspaper Public Notice display ad.
Note: Sumitomo has notified the state they intend to request an amendment to their Plan of Operations for an expansion of the drystack tailings facility from the current 7 million tons to 20 million tons. A separate public comment period will be used to address this proposed amendment, likely within the 1st quarter of 2012.
HOW TO COMMENT
Draft permits and approvals, public notices, applications and support documents are available for review on this web site or by contacting Sharmon Stambaugh, DNR/OPMP Mining Coordinator, listed below. Hardcopies are also available for review at:
- Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation / Fairbanks
(510 University Avenue)
- Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation / Anchorage
(555 Cordova Street)
- Alaska Department of Natural Resources / Fairbanks
(3700 Airport Way)
- Alaska Department of Natural Resources / Anchorage
(Atwood Building, 550 W. 7th Avenue, Suite 900)
- Delta Community Library / Delta Junction across from City Hall
(2291 Deborah Street)
WRITTEN COMMENTS MUST BE RECEIVED BY
January 12, 2012 5:00pm AKST
Send written comments by mail, email or fax to:
Sharmon M. Stambaugh, Mining Coordinator
Alaska Department of Natural Resources
ADNR /Office of Proj. Mgmt. & Permitting
550 West 7th Avenue, Suite 900D
Anchorage, AK 99501
Phone: (907) 269-0880
Fax: (907) 269-8930
Email:
sharmon.stambaugh@alaska.gov
Contact Sharmon Stambaugh with general questions or for additional information.
For technical questions relating to the draft state authorizations, please contact:
DNR draft Plan of Operations Approval – Steve McGroarty, PE
tel: (907) 451-2795 email: steve.mcgroarty@alaska.gov
DEC draft Waste Management Permit – Tim Pilon, PE
tel: (907) 451-2136 email: tim.pilon@alaska.gov
DOCUMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PUBLIC REVIEW AND COMMENT PERIOD
Department of Natural Resources (DNR)
Division of Mining, Land & Water
Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)
Division of Water
Support Documents
Additional documents submitted by Sumitomo Metal Mining Pogo LLC to the State of Alaska in support of project authorizations:
Pogo Project Water Management Plan February 2002
Pogo Project Water Management Plan June 2002 Supplement
Final Permits and Authorizations were issued for the Pogo Mine Project in December 2003. Teck-Pogo Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Teck Cominco Limited, completed mine construction in 2006 and reached commercial production in April 2007.
Project Summary
- Project access is via a 49-mile all season road from the Richardson Highway
- 10 year mine life based on current reserves
- $347 million capital costs for start up
- Approximately 2,500 tons of ore are processed per day
- Mined 715,665 tons of ore to produce 259,820 ounces of gold in 2007
- Workforce of approximately 320
- Power is supplied from the regional grid via a 50-mile power line paralleling the access road
- Recovery is achieved by gravity, flotation, and cyanide leaching at the mine
TECK-POGO Mine 5-Year Environmental Audit (July 28, 2009)
Final Pogo Permits and Authorizations
Department of Natural Resources (DNR)
Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)
Because
the project requires a water discharge permit from the Environmental
Protection Agency and a wetlands fill permit from the US Army Corps
of Engineers, a Federal Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was
completed. The State of Alaska was a cooperating agency in the
EIS process, and has used the EIS to assist in decision making
for its authorizations.
Annual Reports and Annual Meetings
2011 Annual Agency Meeting
2011 Annual Meeting held March 24, 2011 3:30-4:30pm
Westmark Fairbanks Hotel – Rampart Room
Archive of Annual Meetings and Reports for prior years
If you would like to find out more about the state’s permitting process for the
Pogo Mine, please contact:
State of Alaska Large Mine Permitting Team
Sharmon M. Stambaugh
Large Mine Coordinator
Alaska Department of Natural Resources
Office of Project Management and Permitting
550 West 7 th Avenue, Suite 920
Anchorage, AK 99501-3577
Phone: (907) 269-0880
Fax: (907) 269-8930
E-mail: sharmon.stambaugh@alaska.gov
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