Hilcorp wants to fill 95 acres of Arctic wetlands for a gravel mine — comment by Sept. 4

Hilcorp Alaska wants to fill about 95 acres of tundra wetlands near Prudhoe Bay to open a new gravel mine, and Alaskans have until Sept. 4 to tell state regulators whether the plan meets Alaska's water-quality standards.

The mine, called Put 29, would sit about seven miles northwest of Deadhorse — a 64-acre gravel pit reached by a short access road. Hilcorp says the gravel is needed to keep North Slope oil and gas development going as existing sources run low. About 30 of the 95 acres would be temporary, restored when the mine closes.

Hilcorp argues that re-creating wetlands on the North Slope isn't realistic — permafrost wetlands take centuries to form, and the growing season is only about 60 days — so it proposes no compensatory mitigation for the acres it would fill. Instead, it offers berms around the pit to keep the permafrost frozen and stop the ground from collapsing as ice melts, which it calls a net benefit for wetland preservation.

The Department of Environmental Conservation, which opened the comment period Aug. 20, can approve the certification, attach conditions, deny it, or waive it. Its sign-off is required before Hilcorp can obtain an Army Corps permit to fill the wetlands. A separate state review, by the Department of Natural Resources, is open for comment until Sept. 28.