Comment period extended to Dec. 21 on Skwentna area coal lease sale

SKWENTNA — The deadline for comments has been extended to Dec. 21 on the proposed Canyon Creek Lease Sale.

The leases cover 13,175 acres on the east flank of Dickason Mountain, about 18 miles southwest of Skwentna and about 6 miles southwest of Shell Lake, and are estimated to contain 257.9 million short tons of subbituminous coal.

The leases are about 40 miles north of the proposed Chuitna Coal Project and 15 miles east of the Whistler gold/silver/copper mining prospect.

The proposed coal leases only grant an exclusive right to explore for and develop coal deposits. They do not permit any physical activity within the lease area. All exploration and prospecting activity, as well as any subsequent mine development, must be permitted under the Alaska Surface Coal Mining Control and Reclamation Act and the associated regulations.

Permitting under these statutes and regulations requires written decisions with public notice and comment periods, and the decisions are appealable. The preliminary decision for the competitive coal lease sale is available at dnr.alaska.gov/mlw/mining/CanyonCreekPBIF.pdf.

For more information or to submit comments, contact Bill Cole at (907) 269-8648 or email william.cole@alaska.gov.