Graphite One begins permitting process

By Anna Lionas |

Graphite One’s Graphite Creek Mining project has entered the FAST-41 permitting process, a federal initiative that helps projects speed up the permitting process and requires public posting of the timeline and updates throughout. 
The company is required to post a timetable by Friday, August 1, outlining the completion dates for federal permits including the permit to discharge into wetlands, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Section 404 of the Clean Water Act.
Graphite Creek project is the first mine in Alaska to be part of the FAST-41 dashboard. It is eligible because it requires a total investment of over $200 million, it requires federal authorization and it is subject to the National Environmental Policy Act or NEPA, which determines if an Environmental Assessment (EA), or an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), is required for the project.
An EA is usually completed over a period of 12 months and determines if the project would significantly impact the environment.
The process is less extensive and thorough than an EIS, which can take at least two years, cost more and requires the project go through a public comment period.
Previously, Graphite One stated they have done the work to complete either an EA or an EIS and are ready to go “above and beyond” providing data that would be needed for either, Senior Vice President of Operations Mike Schaffner told the Nugget in April.
“If they came back and said you needed an EA, we would supply the data that would be way in excess of what they needed for an EA, just because that limits your ability to be challenged in court for not having sufficient data,” Schaffner said.
In the FAST-41 Initiation Notice on the portal website Graphite One stated they are anticipating the recommendation of and EA “due to the limited wetlands impacts.”
The determination will be released on the FAST-41 federal dashboard August 1 where Graphite One’s permitting process can be tracked.