Advocates for Safe Alaska Highways
Advocates for Safe Alaska Highways
Who are we and what are we concerned about?
Advocates for Safe Alaska Highways (ASAH) was formed in 2021 by a small group of Fairbanks, Alaska, residents in response to a plan by Kinross Alaska and Contango Ore to truck gold-containing ore from a new mine in Tetlin, Alaska, 240 miles up the Richardson Highway through Fairbanks and on to the Ft Knox mill. Their name for this method is DSO, or Direct Shipment of Ore.
One of our main concerns was that this DSO plan would become the default mining strategy within the entire state of Alaska. DSO poses serious concerns regarding safety to the traveling public, damage of state-owned infrastructure (e.g. roads and bridges), and cost to repair this infrastructure. In addition, the short and long term effects of increased air and noise pollution, tire chemical toxicity to fish, spills, and acid-generating ore have not been adequately assessed.
The Corridor Study
Taking our concerns to the state’s capital in Juneau, ASAH was able to convince the Governor and the Department of Transportation to fund a corridor study for this first DSO project. ASAH worked with state and federal agencies, the mining companies, Alaska Native entities and the general public for a year and a half to analyze the true costs, risks and safety impacts of using the public road system as an integral piece of the DSO method. The Alaska/Richardson/Steese Highway Corridor Action Plan Final Report and appendices can be found here.
Download the Action Plan Final Report (PDF-16MB)
In summary, this report showed:
- Cost to the state to upgrade roads and bridges of close to $1 Billion. These costs will not be offset by any royalties or fees contributed by the developer.
- Increase in fatal vehicle accidents of up to 10 per year.
- Significantly decreased lifespans of all bridges and pavements along the route, as Alaskan highways are NOT constructed to withstand the weights and numbers of ore haul vehicles.
Moving Forward
ASAH continues to monitor the mining community and projects throughout the state. Our concerns have not gone away and continue to be even more relevant with all the new mining projects beginning in Fairbanks and other areas of the state.
The First DSO Haul Route
Latest News from ASAH
Mining Open Houses Announced
Take advantage of these presentations to find out what is being planned for neighborhoods near you.
Mining companies prosper while Alaska gets a raw deal
It’s a rockin’ deal for the mining industry but a cryin’ shame for the land, water and people of Alaska— more so when you consider that we let them use our roads, bridges and other infrastructure for free.
Meeting with the CABT
The Coalition Against Bigger Trucks (CABT) reached out to ASAH to make sure we were aware of the MOVE Act, the heavier truck “Pilot Project” proposals, as well as their efforts to oppose any legislation or federal policy changes that would allow longer, heavier trucks to travel on interstate highways.