An agreement with the Northern Alaska Environmental Center (NAEC) has cleared the way for construction to resume at Teck Cominco‘s (TEK-T) Pogo gold project, 145 km southeast of Fairbanks, Alaska.
NAEC has withdrawn its petition for a review of the project’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System previously issued by the Environmental Protection Agency. The change of heart came after Teck agreed to take protective measures to ensure the health of the Goodpaster River drainage, NAEC said in a press release.
NAEC also said that Teck has agreed to create a citizens’ advisory group to periodically review the project. The group will also evaluate a tiered monitoring system on the Goodpaster River on a yearly basis. Teck will also agreed to fund a fish study on the Goodpaster River.
NAEC’s petition had halted pre-construction activities at Pogo, including road building, and cast in doubt planned concrete work for the mill complex, which is set to begin this spring. Teck has budgeted $75 million for development spending in 2004, with most of that earmarked for Pogo.
Teck warned last week that the appeal could result in a delay of up to a year, and that it would lay off hundreds of construction workers. Still, the company said the two sides were trying to work out a solution.
Reserves at Pogo are pegged at 7 million tonnes grading 16.1 grams gold per tonne. The mine, about 40 miles northeast of Delta Junction, is expected to produce an average of 400,000 oz. of gold per year over ten years. The first gold pour is slated for late 2005.
Teck is earning a 40% interest in Pogo and is the operator. Subsidiaries of Sumitomo Metal Mining and Sumitomo Corp own the remaining 60%.
Be the first to comment on "Teck resumes Pogo construction"