There could be a lot more precious metal beneath the surface of Admiralty Island near Juneau.
Hecla Greens Creek Mine spokesperson Mike Satre said you can’t find something if you’re not looking. The mine leases a package of land on the northern end of the island.
“We do exploration in that package, I mean, quite frankly, hoping to find another Greens Creek,” he said.
Green’s Creek is the largest silver mine in the nation. And, it’s also one of Juneau’s largest employers. It’s been operating there for decades and is slated to continue for at least another dozen years.
“By doing that exploration we hopefully add to our reserve base, extend the mine and continue the economic benefits that we’ve been able to provide to the region since 1989,” Satre said.
More mineral deposits could mean more high-paying jobs that could boost the local economy. However, some environmentalists have shared apprehension about the mine’s potential to contaminate the environment around where it operates.
The mine has exclusive mineral rights to a package of roughly 7,400 acres of land on Admiralty Island. The U.S. Forest Service allows it to operate there because the mine has claims to the area that predated the island’s establishment as a monument.
The proposed year-long exploration of that land would involve geologic mapping, soil surveys and drilling. They’re looking for minerals like lead, zinc and silver. Satre said a lot of the work will be done via helicopter.
The plans come just a month after the U.S. Forest Service officially permitted a project for the mine to expand storage for its tailings, or the ground-up rock that’s leftover after digging for metals.
The decision came after a five-year public process and its approval means the mine could live on for up to another 18 years. Hecla is now working to get the necessary permits to break ground on that project sometime next year.
“Generally, the best place to find a new ore deposit is right next to an existing one and so we want to fully explore Hecla’s land package in the Greens Creek Valley and that could tie into that tailings expansion,” Satre said.
The proposed exploration needs to be approved by the Forest Service before it can move forward. The Forest Service will accept public comments for the next 30 days. Paul Robbins, a spokesperson for the Forest Service, said the agency hopes to have a final decision by February.