‘Rivers of Gold’ Proposes Offshore Gold Mining Project for Solomon Area; Permit Process in Early Stages
Rivers of Gold, a gold recovery operation which consists of dredging projects, a reality TV show, and gold products/merchandise based out of California, has proposed starting a gold mining project in the Nome area.
According to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the company has already submitted a brand new application for permits to mine in Alaska (APMA).
IPOP LLC, the registered name under which Rivers of Gold submitted its APMA, is seeking to mine specifically in the Solomon area, which would include the Flambeau, El Dorado, Bonanza, and Solomon Rivers. Both the Northern Norton Sound Fish & Game Advisory Committee and Kawerak, Inc., have sent letters to DNR opposing this mining project.
Kawerak contends that not only would Rivers of Gold be violating Alaska statutes, but they also would negatively impact some of the species of ice seals in the area, the salmon population during the summer runs, and the thousands of migratory birds that nest there. According to Kawerak’s letter, Rivers of Gold has proposed an offshore mining project, but a YouTube video made by Rivers of Gold (which is now unavailable due to copyright claims) suggests the company may seek to mine in non-offshore areas further north near Salmon Lake.
Given the nature of the proposed mining project, Rivers of Gold will also be required to file a permit application with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. John Budnik is the Public Affairs Specialist with the Alaska District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. According to Budnik, the Corps has not yet received a permit application from Rivers of Gold.
Budnik says the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is holding a pre-application meeting regarding the proposed offshore mining project today. If you wish to comment on the mining operation’s permit application, you can email the DNR at dnr.fbx.mining@alaska.gov
Image at top: file photo: the Solomon River area along the Nome-Council Highway. Photo: Maddie Winchester, KNOM.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60NViJJxWYk&rel=0]
Flambeau & El Dorado is where I do my subsistence and that’s where my camp site is, I grew up there during the summer months all my life. My grandparents gave me that camp site.
And gold mining there is like taking our subsistence life away, killing our oringinal way of living as a real alaskan native.
I am against mining in/around Flambeau and Eldorado and Bonanza rivers and any area where we or anyone goes fishing, berry picking, green picking and hunting or camping. My husband’s family has camped and fished, hunt, pick berries, pick greens for subsistence in and around Eldorado and Flambeau areas, as did mine. If these mining permits are allowed and these companies are allowed to mine the river and land will be ruined with poison forever changing our subsistence way of life. After the gold is gone what will be left to fish and pick and hunt from a poisoned river and land? We are teaching our kids and grandchildren to subsist in those areas and want them to carry on and teach their own kids some day. A poisoned ruined land and rivers will not feed our people.
Cause the California based company ruined your land and wildlife in their area doesn’t mean you can go and do it in nome!!!
This is epic