Project Description
The Fort Knox Mine is an open pit, truck-and-shovel operation using carbon-in-pulp, heap leach and gravity processes to recover gold. The mine is located approximately 25 highway miles northeast of Fairbanks, Alaska, on primarily State of Alaska and private lands within the Fairbanks North Star Borough. The project is operated by Fairbanks Gold Mining, Inc. (FGMI), a wholly owned subsidiary of Kinross Gold Corporation. The major Fort Knox Mine facilities include the Fort Knox open pit mine, mill, administrative facilities, tailings storage facility, water storage reservoir and the Walter Creek Heap Leach facility. Power is supplied from the regional grid via a 29-mile power line. The mine was originally permitted in 1994, and operates 24-hours a day, 365 days a year. Fort Knox produced 381,114 gold equivalent ounces in 2017. At the end of 2017, FGMI employed 627 people.
Permits, Approvals and Authorizations
Department of Natural Resources (DNR)
Plan of Operations
- Fort Knox Mine Plan of Operations Approval (PDF) (issued 03/28/2014)
- F20149852POA Amendment 1 (PDF)
- F20149852POA Amendment 2 (PDF)
- F20149852POA Amendment 3 (PDF)
- F20149852POA Amendment 4 (PDF)
- F20149852POA Amendment 5 (PDF)
- F20149852POA Amendment 6 (PDF)
- F20149852POA Amendment 7 (PDF)
- F20149852POA Amendment 8 (PDF)
- F20149852POA Amendment 9 (PDF)
- F20149852POA Amendment 10 (PDF)
- F20149852POA Amendment 11 (PDF)
- F20149852POA Amendment 12 (PDF)
- F20149852POA Amendment 13 (PDF)
- 2014 Cover Letter (PDF)
- Fort Knox Mine Plan of Operations Modifications Request February 2014 (PDF)
- Amendment #1 Request (PDF)
- Amendment #2 Request (PDF)
- Amendment #3 Request (PDF)
- Amendment #4 Request (PDF)
- Amendment #5 Request (PDF)
- Amendment #6 Request (PDF)
- Amendment #7 Request (PDF)
- Amendment #8 Request (PDF) 18 MB
- Amendment #9 Request (PDF)
- Amendment #10 Request (PDF) 92 MB
- Amendment #11 Request (PDF)
- Amendment #12 Request (PDF)
- Amendment #13 Request (PDF)
- Amendment #14 Request (PDF)
- Amendment #15 Request (PDF)
Reclamation and Closure
- Fort Knox Mine Reclamation and Closure Plan Approval F20149852RCP (PDF)
- F20149852RCP Amendment 1 (PDF)
- F20149852RCP Amendment 2 (PDF)
- F20149852RCP Amendment 3 (PDF)
- Certificate of Approval to Construct a Dam (PDF) (issued 7/3/07)
- Millsite Lease ADL 414960 and 414961
- Second Amendment to Millsite Lease ADL 414960 and 414961 (PDF) (issued 6/2/2011)
- First Amendment to Millsite Lease ADL 414960 and 414961 (PDF) (issued 12/31/2007)
- Addendum to the Fort Knox Millsite Lease (PDF) (signed 7/3/07)
- Amended and Restated Millsite Lease ADL 414960 and 414961 (PDF) (issued 7/8/2002)
- Millsite Permit ADL 414960 and 414961 (PDF) (issued 2/15/1994)
- Upland Mining Lease ADL 535408
- First Amendment to Upland Mining Lease ADL 535408 (PDF) (issued 12/31/2007)
- Upland Mining Lease ADL 535408 (PDF) (issued 2/15/1994)
- Water Rights
- LAS 13986: Fish Creek Water Reservoir for millsite 9,257.57 AFY (PDF)
- LAS 13987: Interceptor well system for dam 724 AFY LAS 13988: Fish Creek TSF 5,245 AFY (PDF)
- LAS 21760: Dewatering well field for open pit mining 1,600 AFY (PDF)
- LAS 28161: Mining, milling, heap leach operations 15,326 AFY
- LAS 28160: Interceptor well system for dam 3,000 AFY
- LAS 28159: Fish Creek water reservoir for millsite 9,258 AFY
- LAS 28158: Dewatering well field for open pit mining 4,045 AFY
Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)
Waste Management
- Waste Management Permit (2014DB0002) Modification 2 (PDF) (updated 10/1/2018)
- 2014 Cover Letter (PDF)
- Fort Knox Mine Waste Management Permit Renewal Application May 2012 (PDF)
- Fort Knox Mine Plan of Operations Modification Request February 2014(listed above)
- Fort Knox Reclamation and Closure Plan November 2013 (listed above)
- Fort Knox Mine Solid Waste Management Plan January 2014 (PDF)
- Fort Knox Gold Mine Monitoring Plan October 2012 (listed above)
- Walter Creek Valley Fill Heap Leach Pad Operations Maintenance Manual Revision 5 (PDF)
- Fort Knox Pit Lake Evaluation February 2013 (PDF)
- APDES Permit (AK0053643) (PDF) (Issued 8/15/2015)
- Cover Letter (PDF)
- APDES AK0053643 Fact Sheet (PDF)
- APDES AK0053643 Response to Comments (PDF)
Support Documents
- Fort Knox Mine Reclamation and Closure Plan November 2013 (PDF)
- Cost Data File for SRCE Model (Excel Based) (available upon request)
- SRCE Model for R&C Plan (Excel Based) (available upon request)
- Fort Knox Gold Mine Monitoring Plan October 2012 (PDF)
Archive of June 2006 Applications, Draft Project Authorizations, and Public Process
Five-Year Environmental Audits
May 2012
Environmental Compliance and Management Systems Audit
Fort Knox and True North Mines- Executive Summary (PDF)
- Final Report (PDF)
March 1, 2004
Fort Knox Mine, True North Mine and Twin Creek Road
- Executive Summary (PDF)
- Final Report (PDF)
Annual Meetings and Annual Reports
2018 Annual Agency Meeting
April 11, 2018, 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM
Fairbanks Gold Mining Company offices
Alaska USA building, Suite 408, 1292 Sadler Way, Fairbanks, AK
Fort Knox Annual Meeting Agenda 2018 (PDF)
For More Information Contact:
State of Alaska Large Mine Permitting Team
Kyle Moselle
Associate Director
Alaska Department of Natural Resources
Office of Project Management and Permitting
Phone:(907) 465-6849
Fax: (907) 465-3886
Email
Mail to:
P.O. Box 111020
Juneau, AK 99801
Visit at:
400 Willoughby Ave., 4th Floor
Juneau, AK 99801