Greens Creek Mine officials will discuss the facility’s latest expansion plans at tonight’s Juneau Assembly Committee of the Whole Meeting.
Greens Creek owner Hecla Mining Company is seeking federal approval to expand the tailings disposal facility at the silver, gold, lead and zinc mine on Admiralty Island. A draft Environmental Impact Statement for the project is out for public review through August. The project timeline calls for a final EIS and Record of Decision in November.
Greens Creek is Juneau’s largest private employer, with 370 employees. Earlier this year the U.S. Forest Service approved the company’s plan to perform exploratory drilling at eleven sites across one and a quarter acres in a roadless area within Admiralty Island National Monument.
Also tonight, Assembly members will hear from Port Director Carl Uchytil on the methods used by some cruise lines to tie up shuttle boats to the city’s lightering dock when transporting passengers back and forth to ships. Some assembly members asked Uchytil to look into it after local longshoremen raised safety concerns. In a memo to the Assembly Uchytil says cruise line officials have agreed to use two mooring lines and minimal power for all lightering operations in Juneau.
Tonight’s CBJ Assembly Committee of the Whole meeting starts at 6 o’ clock in City Hall Assembly Chambers.
