The Alaska Department of Natural Resources released last week the fact that Stuy Mines has applied for an exploration permit in hardrock in Kaskanak Creek, southwest of the Pebble deposit.
The Stuy Mines company, registered in Washington state, has proposed an exploration program for hardrock that would last for a number of years which will comprise 12 holes per year. As per the permit application the work will commence in June 2024, and last until 2027. To access the website the company has laid out an access route that is mostly a continuation of existing gravel bars on Iliamna Lake and that it will only grade existing gravel in the instances that required.
Stuy Mines’s main proprietor is a firm called Love and Above. The manager Greg Ellis has also worked as a screenwriter as well as a house developer within Washington state, as per the profile on his LinkedIn page.
A joint announcement issued by Bristol Bay Defense Fund and Bristol Bay Defense Fund cited the recent decision of the EPA to block the project. The coalition comprised of The United Tribes of Bristol Bay, SalmonState and Katmai Services Provider states that the decades preceding the decision demonstrate the fact that Bristol Bay residents don’t want mining within the area. They also reaffirmed their calls for protections for the entire watershed from mining.
“We have always been opposed to mining in the vicinity of Kaskanak Creek and will continue to express our opposition to mining projects like this, which threaten our precious lakes, salmon, landscapes and our way of life,” Igiugig Village Council President AlexAnna Salmon said in the announcement.
Salmon said that the creek is home to Igiugig’s oldest villages and is vital in traditional hunting and fishing. The village council relies on the leadership in Washington to put in place safeguards to protect the watershed in its entirety.
The deadline for public comment regarding the Stuy Mines application is March 14.
Written comments, questions or requests to view the full application packet can be directed to Sara Church at (907) 458-6896, faxed at (907) 451- 2703 or e-mailed to dnr.fbx.mining@alaska.gov.
