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Q:
What were your key milestones last year? And what are the remaining steps in the Donlin Gold permitting process?
A:
Ron Rimelman
vice president, environmental, health, safety and sustainability NOVAGOLD
Stan Foo
general manager Donlin Gold LLC
A:
16 years ˜ 5 ˜ 4 27+ years participating in the NEPA process, Donlin Gold continues to respond to requests from the Corps and other federal and state
agencies for additional information to support their key permitting actions.
1.5 Moz/year
first five full years 1
1.1 Moz/year life of mine 1
Final EIS Record of Decision Permit Issuance
Permit Applications
Submitted 08/12
Notice of Intent
Submitted 12/12
Public Scoping
Ended 03/13
Preliminary Draft EIS
Completed 06/15
Draft EIS
Published 11/15
Public Comment Period
Ends 04/16
18
We’re past the halfway point in Donlin Gold’s Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process – a significant milestone. The process began in December 2012 with the publication of a Notice of Intent by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. To date, the Corps has completed the public scoping process, worked with the cooperating agencies to identify
and select a reasonable range of alternatives to Donlin Gold’s proposed action, prepared a complete preliminary draft EIS that was reviewed by the cooperating agencies, and, on November 27, 2015, published a draft EIS for public review – at the same time issuing the Public Notice for the Clean Water Act Section 404 (Wetlands) permit application.
Concurrent with the EIS process, Donlin Gold is working
to ensure timely receipt of all the required state permits for the project. The Air Quality and Integrated Waste Management permit applications were submitted to the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation; Donlin Gold also submitted lease applications to the Alaska Department of Natural Resources,
and continued to work with their Dam Safety Program on its dam application package. When the permitting process nears completion, the owners of Donlin Gold will make a decision on the next stage: construction.
In addition to meeting and supporting key permitting targets – including the ling of the draft EIS, the most time- consuming component – Donlin Gold continued its community involvement and outreach programs in the Yukon-Kuskokwim (Y-K) region and throughout Alaska, which has kept local residents engaged and informed during the permitting process. Following the publication of the draft EIS, a ve-month public comment period commenced in December 2015 with public meetings in
15 villages in the Y-K region and Anchorage. The Corps will host public meetings and present an overview of the draft EIS, which considers the potential environmental, social, and economic impacts of the proposed project along with seven alternatives:
(1) no action, (2) proposed applicant action, (3) upriver port at Birch Tree crossing, (4) a pipeline route alternative, (5) haul trucks fueled by lique ed natural gas (LNG) versus diesel, (6) diesel pipeline versus natural gas pipeline, and (7) dry stack tailings. The Corps will accept comments on the draft EIS until the end of April 2016 and will subsequently review and respond to the comments in a nal EIS – which the Corps’ schedule anticipates should be published in 2017.
Looking at the year ahead, key areas of focus will include responding to requests for additional information from the Corps to assist in responding to public comments on the draft EIS and the Clean Water Act 404 permit application. In addition to actively
August 2012
1) Donlin Gold data as per the second updated feasibility study. Projected average annual production represents 100% of which NOVAGOLD’s share is 50%.
2017
EXPLORATION & ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES
PERMITTING
ENGINEERING & CONSTRUCTION
OPERATION