The mountain range Constantine is exploring as part of the Palmer Project. (Constantine Metal Resources)
Constantine Metal Resources applied for waste management permits to expand operations at the Palmer Project this year. The group is in advanced stages of mineral exploration at their site 35 miles north of Haines and about 17 miles west of Klukwan. Public comment on the application closed at the end of May.
Department of Natural Resources and Department of Environmental Conservation are now considering over 200 public comments they received. Kyle Moselle works in the large mine permitting office. He says an interagency group has identified 30 substantive issues raised by the public and they are in the process of developing their responses. Those responses will be published with the final decision.
That decision is not imminent however. According to Moselle, one of the issues raised in public comment requires additional information from Constantine. Constantine’s Vice President of Community and External Affairs Liz Cornejo says their permitting team will supply DEC with additional avalanche and groundwater data. The Department is waiting for that sampling data from the mineral exploration company before it makes a decision.
