The proposed Donlin gold mine has nabbed another key state permit. The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation issued the state water quality certification last week, just before the Army Corps of Engineers and Burearu of Land Management issued theirs on Monday.
If built, the mine would sit 10 miles north of the village of Crooked Creek. The new certification basically ensures that the mining operations won’t affect water quality in Crooked Creek.
This permit was vital for Donlin Gold, the company developing the mine. Without it, Donlin Gold would not have received the necessary permits from the Army Corps and BLM.
The mine would impact about 3,500 acres of wetlands. The mine needs at least 100 permits before it can start mining, and it expects to get most of the major ones out of the way this year.