PUBLIC NOTICE
Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)
Wastewater Discharge Authorization Program/401 Certification
555 Cordova Street, Anchorage AK 99501-2617
Phone: 907-269-6285|Email: DEC-401Cert@alaska.gov
Notice of Application for State Water Quality Certification
Public Notice (PN) Date: January 7, 2021 PN Reference Number: POA-2020-00592-M9
PN Expiration Date: February 8, 2021 Waterway: Berner’s Bay/Lynn Canal
Any applicant for a federal license or permit to conduct an activity that might result in a discharge into navigable waters, in accordance with Section 401 of the Clean Water Act (CWA) of 1977 (PL95-217), also must apply for and obtain certification from the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (Department) that the discharge will comply with the CWA, the Alaska Water Quality Standards, and other applicable State laws.
Notice is hereby given that a request for a CWA §401 Water Quality Certification of a Department of the Army Permit application, Corps of Engineers’ Reference Number POA-2020-00592-M9, Berner's Bay/Lynn Canal, has been received for the discharge of dredged and/or fill materials into waters of the United States (WOUS), including wetlands, as described below and shown on the enclosed project figures/drawings. The public notice and related project figures/drawings are also accessible from the DEC website at http://dec.alaska.gov/water/wastewater/.
Any person desiring to comment on the project with respect to water quality, may submit comments electronically via the DEC public notice site (preferred method) at https://dec.alaska.gov/comment/ directly at http://water.alaskadec.commentinput.com/?id=a3x28, or written comments to the address or email listed above by the Public Notice expiration date. All comments submitted via mail or email should include the PN reference number listed above in the subject heading. Mailed comments must be postmarked on or before the expiration date of the public notice.
Applicant: Coeur Alaska, Inc., 3031 Clinton Drive, Suite 202, Juneau, Alaska 99801, Kevin Eppers, Environmental Manager, 907-523-3328, KEppers@coeur.com; Agent: HDR, Inc. 2525 C Street, Suite 500, Anchorage, Alaska 99503, Dave Casey, 907-644-2191, Dave.Casey@hdrinc.com
Project Name: Kensington Mine Expansion, Plan of Operations Amendment 1 (POA 1)
Location: The proposed activity is located within Section 5, 10, 14, 15, 22, 23, 26 and 27, T. 35 S., R. 62 E., Copper River Meridian; Latitude 58.832934° N., Longitude -135.042555° W.; at the Kensington Mine, approximately 45 miles north/northwest of Juneau, Alaska.
Purpose: The applicant’s stated purpose is to implement Plan of Operations Amendment 1 (POA 1) in order to expand the tailings and waste rock storage capacity to facilitate uninterrupted economic production of ore resources past the year 2023, while continuing to protect the environment, ensure safe operations, and comply with regulatory requirements. POA 1 would extend the life of the mine by a minimum of 10 years.
Project Description: Coeur Alaska, Inc. (Coeur), as owner and operator of the Kensington Mine (Mine), is applying to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to modify Department of the Army (DA) permit POA-1990-592-M issued on June 17, 2005, in order to support Coeur’s POA 1. To evaluate POA 1, the U.S. Forest Service is preparing a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) under the National Environmental Policy Act. You can review the draft SEIS and supporting documentation online at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=55533. If you require a paper copy or electronic media or need additional information, please contact Matthew Reece, Project Manager, at 907-789-6274 or send your request to: sm.fs.kensington@usda.gov.
The applicant requests authorization for the proposed discharge of fill material into waters of the U.S. (WOUS), including wetlands, to construct the following proposed POA 1 project components:
- Stage 4 Dam raise and Tailings Treatment Facility (TTF) Expansion (6.1 acres WOUS converted to uplands during construction, before reclamation)
- Kensington waste rock stockpile (WRS) Expansion (0.16 acres of WOUS)
- Pit #4 Expansion (5.36 acres in WOUS)
- Comet WRS Expansion (6.19 areas in WOUS)
- Comet Portal Topsoil Stockpile (1.02 acres in WOUS)
- Pipeline Road WRS (4.45 acres in WOUS), and
- Fish Habitat Mitigation (9.4 WOUS converted to uplands during construction, before reclamation)
POA I would involve the discharge of approximately 5.8 million cubic yards of fill material into 32.68 acres of WOUS, including wetlands. During the operational stage of POA 1, fill material will be discharged into waters of the U.S. (WOUS), including wetlands, in the form of tailings (4 Mt) into the TTF and waste rock (5 Mt) at the WRS sites. Finally, to support the closure of POA 1, fill material will be discharged into WOUS to construct six fish habitat mitigation projects to minimize impacts to fish habitat.
For additional details, you may also refer to the video at the following website: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19N8rz7N74w&feature=youtu.be
After reviewing the application, the Department may certify there is reasonable assurance the activity, and any discharge that might result, will comply with the CWA, the Alaska Water Quality Standards, and other applicable State laws. The Department also may deny or waive certification.
The permit application and associated documents are available for review. For inquires or to request copies of the documents, contact dec-401cert@alaska.gov, or call 907-269-6285.
Disability Reasonable Accommodation Notice
The State of Alaska, Department of Environmental Conservation complies with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. If you are a person with a disability who may need special accommodation in order to participate in this public process, please contact ADA Coordinator Brian Blessington at 907-269-6272 or TDD Relay Service 1-800-770-8973/TTY or dial 711 within 5 days of the expiration date of this public notice to ensure that any necessary accommodations can be provided.