Donlin Gold's Record ROD: Interior project hits major milestone.

• Author: Shipe, O'Hara
• Position: MINING SPECIAL SECTION / DONLIN GOLD

In August, a joint Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and US Army Corps of Engineers Federal Record of Decision (ROD) was handed down to Barrick Gold Corporation and NOVAGOLD Resources, who jointly own Donlin Gold. Located ten miles from Crooked Creek, the proposed Donlin Gold Mine sits on what is predicted to be one of the largest and highest-grade undeveloped open pit gold endowments in the world. If the estimates are correct, the proposed mine could produce an average of 1.3 million ounces of gold annually during the mine's projected twenty-seven-year lifespan. Even with the ROD, it will likely be years before the mine is developed and even longer before it begins producing.

An Extensive Permitting Process

In December 2012 Donlin Gold and its partners assembled a team of field scientists to conduct feasibility studies to include in the initial Section 404 permit applications and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Enforced by the US Army Corps of Engineers and over-seen by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Section 404 of the Clean Water Act regulates the discharge of dredged or fill material into waters of the United States, including wetlands. The program largely affects water resource projects like constructing dams and levees as well as certain infrastructure developments and mining projects.

The EPA suggests that, for most material discharge that will only have minimal adverse effects, a general Section 404 permit is sufficient, allowing eligible projects to proceed with little delay. In Donlin Gold's case, acquiring the required 404 permit was more difficult than anyone initially anticipated.

"I think originally when we first applied for our Section 404 permit we may have thought the process would have gone a lot quicker. But ultimately, I think it wasn't that bad in terms of an extended review time considering the complexity of the project. It was a very thorough environmental review, and that's what matters most," says Donlin Gold External Affairs Manager Kurt Parkan.

The Donlin Gold proposed project includes several items that require review under Section 404, including "cut-and-fill for construction of roads, airstrips, port facilities, laydowns and work areas, mine site facilities, material sites, and installation of culverts and bridges at stream crossings, power poles, and the natural gas pipeline," according to the ROD, as well as a port at Jungjuk Creek, two barge landings on the Kuskokwim River, and a natural gas...