Kensington Mine Injunction Lifted

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today welcomed the decision by the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to lift its injunction regarding the Kensington gold mine’s tailings permit.

 

“The court’s decision to remove the injunction will allow an important economic development project for the Southeast to move forward,” Murkowski said. “This project has been held up by legal challenges for three years. I’m happy to see a resolution that will benefit Juneau and other Southeast communities.”

 

The ruling means the mine’s owners, Coeur Alaska, can resume construction of a tailings facility, the final component needed to begin operations at the mine. The mine is expected to provide hundreds of jobs and millions of dollars in taxes to the economy of Southeast Alaska.

 

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled last month that Kensington had a valid permit to dispose of mine tailings. Environmental groups had challenged the validity of the permit because it was issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and not the Environmental Protection Agency. The lower court issued the original injunction in August 2006.

 

# # #