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The mining newspaper for Alaska and Canada's North
North of 60 Mining News – March 31, 2023
Drilling has outlined more than 9.4 billion pounds of copper, 9.5 billion lb of zinc, 84 million ounces of silver, 850,000 oz of gold, and 77 million lb of cobalt in the Ambler Mining District.
The proposed 211-mile Ambler Road would provide access to Ambler Metals' Upper Kobuk Mineral Projects and other deposits in the Ambler Mining District of Northwest Alaska.
Based on a directive made by Congress more than 40 years ago and its own mission to promote economic growth and diversity in Alaska, the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority board of directors has approved $44.8 million to advance pre-development work on the Ambler Road project in Northwest Alaska.
"Thanks to the AIDEA Board of Directors for authorizing the 2023 project budget, which enables the project to move ahead," said Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority Executive Director Randy Ruaro. "AIDEA will fight for jobs, a future for Alaskans, and environmentally responsible resource development right here in Alaska."
Formally known as the Ambler Access Project, this 211-mile road would provide an economical means of delivering mineral concentrates containing copper, zinc, silver, cobalt, and other metals critical to clean energy and America's economic interests from mines in the Ambler District to the market.
Recognizing the need for surface access to unlock the rich mineral potential in the Ambler District, Congress included special provisions in the 1980 Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) that guarantees the approval of a transportation corridor to this metals-rich region of Northwest Alaska.
Section 201 (4) of ANILCA reads, "Congress finds that there is a need for access for surface transportation purposes across the Western (Kobuk River) unit of the Gates of the Arctic National Preserve (from the Ambler Mining District to the Alaska Pipeline Haul Road) and the Secretary shall permit such access in accordance with the provisions of this subsection."
"Those promises in ANILCA and the needs of Alaskans and the families for good paying jobs and the opportunity to start a small business matter," said Ruaro. "That is why we continue to progress the project and work toward these significant project milestones."
BLM, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the National Park Service issued a joint record of decision in 2020 that provided the federal authorizations needed to build a road that would have fulfilled the ANILCA mandate.
A year ago, however, BLM notified AIDEA that it had suspended its authorizations for further review.
The federal land manager cited a lack of adequate consultation with Alaska tribes and evaluation of potential impacts the road might have on subsistence uses as reasons to remand the previously issued authorizations
This decision is delaying the start of a road that would provide access to many of the minerals and metals needed to meet the Biden administration's push toward electric vehicles and renewable energy.
"When environmental groups and the federal government delay or stop projects in Alaska, they just push production to other countries. These countries lack the strict protections Alaska has and the environment suffers. Alaskans and their families end up paying the bill for environmentally damaging projects in other countries," said Ruaro. "Production of minerals through the Ambler project, specifically critical minerals, support America's national defense and offset a need to import such minerals from China – a country with little to no pollution requirements that want to control and dominate critical minerals the way OPEC controlled oil in the 1970s."
AIDEA says it has an agreement with BLM to fund a supplemental environmental impact statement to address the deficiencies cited as reasons to remand the federal land manager's authorization for the Ambler Road. BLM has selected SWCA Environmental Consultants as the third-party contractor that will support the federal agency's work to complete the final SEIS.
A record of decision on the revised Ambler Road permits is expected by the end of 2023.
Over his more than 16 years of covering mining and mineral exploration, Shane has become renowned for his ability to report on the sector in a way that is technically sound enough to inform industry insiders while being easy to understand by a wider audience.
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