Notice of Application for State Water Quality Certification

Public Notice (PN) Date: November 13, 2024        PN Reference Number: POA-2024-00505 v1.0
PN Expiration Date: December 15, 2024                              Waterway: Little Eldorado Creek

Any applicant for a federal license or permit to conduct an activity that might result in a discharge into waters of the United States, in accordance with Section 401 of the Clean Water Act (CWA), must also apply for and obtain certification from the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation that the discharge will comply with the CWA and the Alaska Water Quality Standards (18 AAC 70). The scope of certification is limited to the water quality-related impacts from the activity subject to the Federal license or permit (40 CFR 121.3, 18 AAC 15.180).

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’ PN Reference Number indicated above has been received[1] for the discharge of dredged and/or fill materials into waters of the United States (WOTUS), including wetlands, as described below, and shown on the project figures/drawings. The public notice and related project figures/drawings are accessible from the DEC website at https://dec.alaska.gov/water/wastewater/.

To comment on the project or request for a public hearing with respect to water quality, submit comments via email to the DEC email address: DEC-401Cert@alaska.gov with the subject line referencing Public Notice Reference Number: POA-2024-00505 v1.0 or via DEC website https://dec.alaska.gov/commish/public-notices/ on or before the public notice expiration date listed above.

Applicant: Big Sky Exploration LLC, Cary Williams, 2283 Elliot Highway, Fairbanks, AK 99712, (229) 425-3754; cwjconcrete@gmail.com

Project Name: Little Eldorado Placer Mine

Dates of the proposed activity is planned to begin and end: 11/01/2024 to 11/01/2030

Location: The proposed activity is located within Section 28/27, T. 3N, R. 1E, Section 21/28, T. 3N, R. 1E, Section 21/22, T. 3N, R. 1E, Section 16/21, T. 3N, R. 1E, 16, T. 3N, R. 1E, Fairbanks Meridian, in Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska. 560219. Project Site (Latitude, Longitude): 65.064207, -147.54166.

Purpose: The applicant’s stated purpose is to placer mine for gold.

Description of Proposed Work: The gold deposit is located on the right limit of Little Eldorado Creek facing downstream. The Eldorado Creek drainage has been previously mined since the early days of mining in the Fairbanks Mining District in early 1900s. The gold bearing gravels are approximatey 15 feet to 20 feet in depth and are covered by 10 feet to 30 feet of gravel and 15 feet to 50 feet of loess and organic soils. The soils are frozen with the exception of seasonal thaw near the surface.

The overburden vegetation, soil, and rock would be removed with heavy equipment assisted by drilling and blasting. Blasting would occur after the vegetation and soil layers are removed. This material would be hauled by truck to the existing gravel tailings from previous mining activities, and spread over these gravels. Gold bearing gravels would then be hauled from the mine pit and stockpiled on the adjacent dredge tailings. When the weather warms in late spring, the thawing gold bearing gravels would be sluiced back into the mine pit, recovering the gold with a simple gravity sluice. The approximate size of a pit would vary but typically would be within an area about 400' wide by 1,000 feet long with organic soil and vegetation stockpiled beside the mine pit. After sluicing the pay material, and freezing conditions return, the overburden from the next mine block downstream would be stripped and this material would be placed into the pit that was just mined. This cycle of mining would continue

downstream for 5 years or more and would be dependent on cost to mine and the price of gold. It is anticipated that approximately 17 acres of wetlands would be impacted per year over a 5-year period during placer mining and reclamation activities. After mining is completed the existing access road would be rebuilt by reusing waste rock from the stockpile areas.

Applicant Proposed Mitigation: The applicant proposes the following mitigation measures to avoid, minimize, and compensate for impacts to waters of the United States from activities involving discharges of dredged or fill material.

1. Avoidance: Avoidance of Waters of the United States including wetlands was not proposed by the applicant because wetlands are found throughout the areas planned for mining and in areas interspersed with old mine tailing and drainage channels.
2. Minimization: The applicant proposes to stockpile organic material to be used for site rehabilitation to include natural revegetation and creation of low-lying areas in mined pits to help create conditions for wetland development on the project site following mining activities. Existing previously mined areas would be used when practical for initial stockpile of organic material and gravels, and creation of water recycling/settling ponds.
3. Mitigation: Compensatory mitigation is not proposed by the applicant because the applicant proposes to create areas below the current surface grade to promote the creation of wetlands and shallow ponds. The mixing of overburden gravels with the native organic and loess soils will provide an excellent growth medium for the natural revegetation of wetland and terrestrial vegetation.

After reviewing the application, the Department will evaluate whether the activity will comply with applicable water quality requirements (any limitation, standard, or other requirement under sections 301, 302, 306, and 307 of the CWA, any Federal and state laws or regulations implementing those sections, and any other water quality-related requirement of state law). The Department may certify (or certify with conditions) with reasonable assurance the activity and any discharge that might result will comply with water quality requirements. 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 Mike Kruzinski at 907-334-0884, Mike.Kruzinski@alaska.gov or TDD Relay Service 1-800-770-8973/TTY or dial 711 prior to the expiration date of this public notice to ensure that any necessary accommodations can be provided.