YESAB’s Recommendation for Coffee Guarantees Casino Newmont must now officially run after Casino. They have no choice. Suspect Newmont/WRN already have a deal in place. Otherwise, Newmont is being foolish. I mean they are ready to begin construction when nothing can happen without WRN. They need the Casino project as Coffee alone is not a mine and they need the Casino-Coffee connector road which is the very last stage. This can only mean that Newmont already has at least a tentative deal which only needs to be signed. Everything must have already gone through lawyers for both sides. Exciting time, folks...hang in there.
YESAB recommends approval of proposed mine
The Yukon Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment Board is recommending approval of Newmont Goldcorp’s proposal to build the Coffee Creek gold mine along the Yukon River 130 kilometres south of Dawson City.
By Chuck Tobin on January 28, 2021
The Yukon Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment Board is recommending approval of Newmont Goldcorp’s proposal to build the Coffee Creek gold mine along the Yukon River 130 kilometres south of Dawson City.
The board issued its 320-page draft assessment and recommendations to the decision bodies on Monday.
The recommendations include 44 mitigative measures to reduce negative impacts from the project, along with several measures to be taken for ongoing monitoring of the project.
“The proponent proposes that the project operate over a period of 10 years, and will process up to 69 million tonnes of ore during operations while producing up to 330 million tonnes of waste rock,” the assessment board’s summary of the project points out.
“A construction phase would occur over a period of approximately two and a half years, while closure and reclamation would occur over a period of 11 years, with post closure activities occurring afterwards.”
The mine site would be accessed by road and river crossings, and by air.
Road access would be along the existing road heading south from Dawson through the gold fields, and would require 37 kilometres of new road (that's the Casino-Coffee connector, folks)
Barge crossings at the Stewart and Yukon rivers would also have to be constructed, as the mine site is located on the west side of the Yukon River. Ice bridges would be used in the winter.
The board’s executive committee is seeking public input on the draft screening report and its recommendations. The period for public comment is open until March 26.
Goldcorp filed the project proposal with the board in December 2017. Newmont purchased Goldcorp in 2019, creating one of, if not the largest, gold mining company in the world.
Scores of supporting documents have been filed since 2017.
Goldcorp moved into the Yukon in 2016 with the purchase of Kaminak Gold and its Coffee Creek project for $520 million.
Newmont Goldcorp is looking to produce six million to seven million ounces of gold annually.
It’s been estimated a workforce of approximately 660 would be required during construction and 370 during operations on rotating shifts.