To the editor: Kinross and Alaska’s leaders have the opportunity to influence the direction of Interior mining for the next 50 years. Will they continue the public relations campaign that only supports company viewpoints? Or will the community be able to truly participate, implement solutions and influence regional development?
Alaskans have a right to be concerned about the Manh Choh Project transportation plan. Kinross/PeakGold expects public resources to provide infrastructure and maintenance. We have a stake. Most industries invest in infrastructure to process and reduce raw materials before transporting. They build private pipelines, rail extensions, access roads and processing facilities. This reduces impact to public resources. Yes, we should single out abuse of the system.
Importantly, Kinross/PeakGold itself says sharing a road is unsafe. The 404 Permit Application Supplemental Information, page 9 says:
“Alternative 4: Co-Use of Existing Tetlin Village Road
Under this alternative, the Project considered widening and co-locating mine traffic and village traffic on the same Tetlin Village Road. The Proposed Action, in contrast, proposes to build a parallel twin road to separate the traffic. Co-use of the same road would have resulted in less impacts to some resources (e.g., wetlands), but crucially would have negative potential life and safety impacts to Tetlin Village residents by increasing the potential for vehicle collisions.”
If Kinross thinks sharing five miles of a widened gravel road would be unsafe, why do they think it would be any safer to share 240 highway miles? There’s more traffic, higher speeds, school bus stops, military convoys, extreme weather, 24/7 every day for years? The potential for disaster is just as great. The lives of all travelers matter.
When there’s an accident, will Kinross take responsibility? Or will liability rest on a third-party truck-driving subcontractor as in Nevada and Ghana? Since the state is responsible for roads and the Permanent Fund’s invested, is the state liable?
Solutions can be found. To reduce spills and accidents on the Richardson highway, Petrostar now barges fuel from Valdez to Anchorage, then by rail to their new tanks in Fairbanks.
Be a good neighbor, Kinross. Don’t haul ore on highways.
