Fall 2023 The Alaska Miner 47 High-grade gold ore from Manh Choh will be blended with lower-grade ore from Fort Knox and processed in the mill at Fort Knox. The mine is expected to operate for four to five years, producing about 1 million ounces of gold. During its operating life, the mine will pay an estimated $600 million in production payroll after $75 million in construction payroll. The average annual wage of jobs at the mine will be about $125,000 per year. About $425 million will be spent for services and goods. Additionally, Manh Choh will result in several million dollars being spent in the local community for training, education, scholarships and sponsorships. Even during the planning and initial construction, the mine was a substantial contributor to the region with $1.7 million injected into the local area in 2021. Seventy four percent of this spending was with Alaska-based businesses. There was also $208,000 in donations to local nonprofits and community organizations, and community support has also been extended to organizations and people in the nearby Tok area. Training and other workforce development is being done in partnership with the Tanana Chiefs Conference, the Fairbanks-based tribal support organization. One significant new project for the community is an elder’s home, which will support 35 beds for elder community members and elders from the surrounding area. The elder’s home will keep families together, enhance and enrich the lives of children in the community, and support the sharing of traditional knowledge and activities. Meanwhile, the trucking of ore from Tetlin to Fairbanks has attracted considerable interest, and some concerns. About 3,000 tons of ore will be trucked daily with an average payload of 50 tons per truck. There will be about 60 round trips done per day, with a frequency of about 2.5 trips per hour on the Alaska and Richardson Highways. Trial runs with trucks will begin late in 2023 with the frequency ramping up into the second half of 2024. The trucks will meet highway load restrictions and operations will not require special approvals. Information on the trucking is being provided to the DOTPF (Department of Transportation and Public Facilities) Transportation Advisory Committee that has been formed for the road corridor. Meanwhile, the addition of Manh Choh ore to that produced at the Fort Knox mine will help sustain Fort Knox, which has now been producing for 27 years and is an important part of the Fairbanks economy. Fort Knox is now the largest gold producer in Alaska and the second-largest taxpayer in Fairbanks, with roughly $127 million paid yearly in property taxes. Fort Knox is also a major employer, with 715 direct jobs in 2021 and $829 million paid in annual payroll and $2.8 billion paid in purchases of goods and services from local vendors over 25 years of operation at the mine. — Tim Bradner
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTcxMjMwNg==