Murkowski, Sullivan: Ambler Access Project Could Help Close the Gap on America’s Mineral Security
U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, both R-Alaska, today issued the following statements after the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released the final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Ambler Mining District Industrial Access Road project.
“I welcome BLM’s final EIS as a key step for an important project that will create good jobs for Alaskans, but continue to emphasize the importance of stakeholder engagement to ensure local voices are heard,” Murkowski said. “Projects like this will open the door to responsible resource development that will ultimately enhance our mineral security, boost the state economy, and create economic opportunity for the region. As the review process nears its conclusion, I encourage BLM and the project sponsors to redouble their efforts to engage with local stakeholders and to reflect their input in the final project.”
“I applaud the BLM for reaching this milestone in the process for development of the road, which will provide limited transportation access to the Ambler Mining District to support mining operations,” Sullivan said. “Going forward, the BLM must continue to engage with local communities and Alaska Native leaders to ensure the subsistence and other resource needs of these communities are protected. Now more than ever, it’s imperative that we continue to advance projects like this one, which can lead to economic opportunities and good paying jobs for Alaskans.”
The Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA) initially submitted its application to develop the 211-mile Ambler road project in November 2015. BLM published a draft EIS on August 30, 2019 and held 22 public meetings in affected communities, Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Washington, DC. AIDEA estimates the Ambler road project would create an estimated 486 construction and 68 permanent jobs, with more jobs created and supported by world-class mining projects in the Ambler district.
The final EIS is available here, and more information is available here.
