NovaGold’s Donlin Project Receives State Approval

NovaGold Resources (TSX:NG,NYSEAMERICAN:NG) has received the final State right-of-way (ROW) authorization for the buried natural gas pipeline for the company’s Donlin gold project in Alaska.

As quoted from the press release:

NovaGold today announced that its flagship Donlin gold project, which NovaGold owns equally with Barrick Gold (TSX:ABX,NYSE:GOLD), received the final State Right-of-Way (ROW) authorization for the buried natural gas pipeline, issued by the Alaska Department of Natural Resources (ADNR) on January 17, 2020. The ADNR also issued final authorization of the easement, land leases, land use permits, and material site authorizations for the proposed transportation facilities, and easement for the fiber optic cable on State lands on January 2, 2020. Additionally, ADNR denied an appeal and affirmed the Division of Mining, Land, and Water’s original January 18, 2019 approval of Donlin Gold LLC’s Reclamation Plan and its accompanied permit.

“We are very pleased to see the issuance of key transportation and energy infrastructure approvals for Donlin Gold,” said Greg Lang, President and CEO. “These final State land authorizations are important for the advancement of Donlin Gold. These achievements would not have been possible without the dedication of the professionals at the Alaska Department of Natural Resources to advance permits and approvals for the project in a transparent as well as environmentally and socially responsible manner with strong adherence to governance best practices. We are proud of the work supporting the issuance of these permits carried out by the teams at Donlin Gold, Barrick and NovaGold and appreciate the support and contributions from our Native Corporation partners, Calista Corporation and The Kuskokwim Corporation.”

The receipt of the ROW authorization and other land leases and permits for the transportation and pipeline facilities are the latest in a growing list of Donlin Gold’s permitting approvals, including the jointly issued Federal Record of Decision received in August 2018. A number of other key State permits have also been finalized for the project, including the Alaska Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (APDES) water discharge permit, Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) major source air quality permit, waste management permit, Reclamation Plan approval permit, and fish habitat permits for the mine site and transportation corridor.

Click here to read the full announcement