Comment closes Oct. 12 on a plan to dig antimony 80 miles from Trapper Creek and refine it at Port MacKenzie

Comment closes 5 p.m. Oct. 12 on approvals before the Alaska Department of Natural Resources for the Estelle Gold and Critical Minerals Project: a program to dig ore samples and a small refining pilot plant to test producing antimony concentrate and refined antimony trisulfide.

Applicant Alaska Range Resources, Nova Minerals' U.S. subsidiary, won $43.4 million in defense funding for military-grade antimony trisulfide.

The application covers state land about 80 miles southwest of Trapper Creek and private land at Port MacKenzie in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, inside the state's Yentna and McGrath mining districts. The plan-of-operations and reclamation approvals (F20263042POOA and F20263042RPA) have been requested, not issued.

A Mat-Su Fish and Wildlife Commission handout raised concerns about potential effects on fish and wildlife habitat, subsistence and recreation in the Yentna district.

Written comments go to the Division of Mining, Land and Water, Fairbanks Mine Permitting Office, 3700 Airport Way, Fairbanks 99709. Contact William Groom at (907) 451-2788 or [email protected].