Controversies
Which species of fish primarily inhabits the Kuskokwim River and would experience adverse effects from the development of the Donlin Gold Mine?
Salmon
The creation of the Donlin gold mine would affect how many acres of wetland?
9,000 acres.
Which two main companies are developing the Donlin Gold Mine in Alaska?
Barrick Gold and NovaGold Resources.
If the proposed project were to be approved, long-term operations at the site are estimated to last approximately how many years?
27-30 years.
Where is the Donlin Gold mine expected to be built?
Roughly ten miles north of Crooked Creek, Alaska.
Which party are people concerned will receive the majority of economic benefits (from the development of the mine) over the local communities?
External shareholders (Kuskokwim Corporation, Calista Corporation, Donlin Gold [Barrick Gold US Inc. And NovaGold Resources Alaska, Inc.])
What major indigenous food sources could be impacted by the gold mine/barges?
Rainbow smelt and salmon.
What Indigenous Alaskan tribe has expressed environmental and cultural concerns about the impact of the Donlin Gold Mine on local resources?
The Yup'ik tribe (especially the Kuskokwim River communities)
Environmentalists and climate scientists are concerned that climate change could increase the risk of what type of failure (associated with the Donlin Mine) which would largely impact local ecosystems
Tailings Dam Failure.
How long will it take for the Donlin Gold mine to be constructed before it is ready to be used?
3-4 years.
Donlin’s barging plan on the Kuskokwim River could more than ______ the number of barges on the river during the spring and summer.
Double
How many miles of territory would the Donlin natural gas pipeline cut through?
The pipeline would cut through 315 miles of wild territory.
Which U.S. government agency is responsible for issuing permits related to environmental impact for mining projects like the Donlin Gold Mine?
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Which industries would benefit most from the short-term increase in revenue generated by the Donlin Gold Mine?
The Alaskan healthcare, education, infrastructure, and construction industries.
Why are some Alaskan communities in favor of the Donlin Gold Mine project?
The project will provide many new jobs and economic benefits to local communities.
The tribes opposing the mine’s development argue that the US Army Corps of Engineers didn’t model a large enough potential spill from the tailings pond (that would hold the mine’s waste material). Earthjustice attorney Maile Tavepholjalern points out that the corps only modeled a spill of what percent of the dam’s capacity?
Tailings spill of only 0.5% of the dam’s capacity
In the recently settled lawsuit against the Army Corps of Engineers, what was the likelihood of a catastrophic tailings dam failure?
1 in 1,000 in a year, or 2 in 100 in 20 years.
What major environmental concern do local stakeholders, especially fishing communities, have regarding the potential impact of the Donlin Gold Mine on the Kuskokwim River?
Potential contamination with mercury and cyanide.
What regional infrastructure is anticipated to increase as a result of the site if it were to be constructed?
Roads and transport systems.
When did the six tribes in Southwest Alaska sue the Donlin Gold Mine project?
April 2023 (to invalidate the permits).
The Association of Village Council Presidents (AVCP) is one of the region’s tribal consortiums which opposes the mine’s development – how many tribes does the AVCP represent?
56 tribes (across the Yukon-Kuskokwim (Y-K) Delta)
How many tons of waste rock would the mine generate over 27 years?
2.5 billion tons of waste rock.
Which local Alaska Native corporation, with land claims in the region, has signed a land use agreement with Donlin Gold LLC, showing complex stakeholder alignment with both economic opportunities and community impact?
Calista Corporation.
Based on the projected processing of millions of tons of material per year, the Donlin gold mine operation is dependent on what energy-intensive method to extract gold from the ore.
Cyanide Heap Leaching.
What are the three main points used in the lawsuit against the U.S Army Corps of Engineers with the hope of overturning the water permits that have been granted to Donlin LLC?
1.) USACE model
2.)USACE consideration of full impact.
3.)Increased barge traffic