Congressman Nick Begich visited Red Dog Mine this week, drawing attention to both the mine’s importance to Alaska and the looming threat of closure if new deposits are not developed.
Red Dog, located in Northwest Alaska, is one of the world’s largest zinc mines, providing 5% of the world’s zinc supply and accounting for more than 80 percent of the revenue for the remote Northwest Arctic Borough. But under current projections, the mine’s ore body could be exhausted by 2031, raising concerns about devastating economic impacts for the region.
Mine operator Teck Resources is exploring additional deposits on state land, but the exploration and evaluation process could take years. Congressman Begich has made streamlining federal permitting a key priority in Congress, stressing the urgency of securing Red Dog’s future.
“Red Dog Mine is a shining example of community opportunity and responsibility combining to create jobs and revenue that just simply didn’t exist in this region,” Begich said. “It is a success story for an area of Alaska that previously had few private sector jobs and opportunity. Red Dog is a national strategic resource producing world-class quantities and grade of lead, zinc, and germanium. The world needs Alaska, and Alaska needs development.”
The region is the size of Indiana but has fewer than 9,000 residents. It is historically one of the more impoverished areas of the state.
The Trump Administration has also placed a high emphasis on domestic mineral production. In April, President Trump signed an executive order aimed at unlocking offshore critical minerals and positioning the United States as a global leader in resource development and innovation.
For Northwest Alaska and national security, the stakes are high. Without new development, Red Dog’s closure could create a fiscal cliff for the borough and ripple effects across the state’s resource economy.
I don’t know, Tom. Nicholas has more energy than you and I combined, on steroids. I think you are too old to be governor. I’d rather see Nicholas in that seat. He even thinks more lucidly than you and I combined. And he’s far better looking. He’s THE alpha Begich now.
The physical infrastructure. and manpower are in place. Logistical considerations accounted for. It is a no-brainer to keep it going.
Fly like a butterfly… Sting like a bee…
The Alaska Statehood Compact, which the feral government has been in violation of for decades, calls for Alaska to develop our resources to pay our own way with them getting a cut. But no, they’d rather crap-stir around the world, overthrow elected sovereign governments, start unjustified wars, and take their stuff and turn us into a park.
The regulatory burden at both the state and federal levels is unreal. Besides the courts, it is the last bastion for the left and the enviro-nazis to stop development in Alaska. When I work with regulators at the state, the hold-ups from mis-management, incompetence, ignorance (many have only been in their jobs for a year) and environmental activism are unbelievable. They live to hold up or even shut down projects. Companies pay millions to ensure their reg packages are correct and in compliance and the state still finds things to kick them back, only to have them okayed, because the the submitted package was correct from the beginning. I’ve seen projects that will improve the lives of Alaskans delayed by a year or more and seen millions in cost overruns due to these regulators and regulations. One can only hope that this broken system can be fixed. No one who lives in Alaska wants out state to be turned into an environmental wasteland, but these regulations are beyond burdensome – they’re project-killers.
Off topic, but if you voted for the Vandal President, you have to defend this quote from the Number One Candidate for Removal Via the 25th Amendment:
“He’s [Netanyahu] a war hero, because we work together. He’s a war hero,” Mr. Trump said of the Israeli leader. “I guess I am too,” he added.
He’s lost it. He’s mentally incapable of making serious decisions that affect every one of us. He has to go.
Caleb, your comment wasn’t just off topic, it was insane. Seek help, please Caleb… do it soon.
I’m pulling for ya, we all are out here.
My goodness gracious. TDS on steroids.
I am a Haida Indian and a Sealaska shareholder. What is Sealaska going to do with themselves when the Red Dog 7i dries up?
Red Dog is on Nana land. It has nothing whatsoever to do with Sealaska. Please, spend more time researching and knowing about your own native corp, who it serves and what it does.
Deborah Brollini asks: “What is Sealaska going to do with themselves when the Red Dog 7i dries up?”
Push to open Pebble? Cheers –
Red Dog Mine- Zinc? Biggest rip off of the Natives and State overall. Having flown drill rigs into the mountains around that area for Kennicott and Anaconda and reviewing nightly drill information with leading world geologists, there is more than Zinc. There are gold, silver, copper and precious metals in those mountains. Do the Canadians taking the crushed ore out actually doing samplings of the tailings being shipped and paying on all the minerals and the tailings or just the Zinc? If not paying for all the minerals taken out, then everyone in the Kotzebue area is being ripped off. The owners of the mining operation should have been made to make the processing plant in the Kotzebue area and saved all the tailings for road building or community movement like in Kivalina to a new higher building sight. That crushed rock has more value than the Zinc. Wake up people.
One last thought on the Red Dog mine and the weather for the balance of the State. They have crushed down one mountain on the range and are working on the second. How does the loss of those mountains effect the rest of the States’ weather patterns? Has anyone done any analysis of that factor?
Fake news alert. Shareholder here. They found another deposit that won’t close it down. It’s not going to make the news soon it’s inside information only being leaked out;)
Fake news? Far from it. New deposits mean nothing if Teck and Nana can’t get the permitting in a state and federal environment that does not want mining to occur in Alaska – or anywhere else in the US. This is the crux of the article. If they can’t get permits, they can’t expand. If they can’t mine, the people who work there are out of a job and cannot feed their families. Same for Kotzebue and other communities in the area.