Tailing impoundment permitting, design, construction, and operation in an Arctic environment

Fairbanks Gold Mining, Inc., (FGMI) a subsidiary of Kinross Gold operates the Fort Knox mine
and mill, located 26 miles northeast of Fairbanks, Alaska. The average daily temperature in the Fairbanks district rises above freezing in late April and drops below freezing in early October. Mid winter temperatures can easily reach -50° F with the average maximum temperature remaining below zero through December and January. These arctic conditions have created discontinuous permafrost that covers much of the north facing slopes in the region. Unique challenges were encountered due to the permafrost conditions in addition to the extreme cold temperatures of the arctic region that affected the design, construction, and operation of the tailings impoundment. Permitting of the impoundment included an Environmental Assessment with the Corp of Engineers as the lead agency and a permitting team concept with all affected agencies participating in permitting decisions. Mitigation measures have been implemented to offset the wetlands impacted by the tailings impoundment construction and operation and include development of additional wetlands, habitat enhancement, and a water storage reservoir.