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letter to shareholders
2
Environme
ntal Policy
Act (NEPA) process and federal permitting for our flagship Donlin Gold project in southwestern
Gregory A. Lang | President and CEO
2018
Alaska; second, we secured at least $200 million in cash and receivables (and potentially more) by divesting a non- core asset. It is truly gratifying to see both initiatives, launched in 2012, come to a satisfactory conclusion.
The successful permitting effort for the Donlin Gold project was a federal, state, and regional marathon. An extensive amount of work was carried out by a number of individuals and groups, including the Donlin Gold team in Anchorage, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the Calista Corporation and The Kuskokwim Corporation (TKC), and tribal councils from the Yukon-Kuskokwim (Y-K) region. I’m proud
of the company’s and Donlin Gold’s comprehensive work on this front, from the workshops and meetings throughout the region to the 11 Alaska-based agencies and tribal stakeholders involved in the NEPA process
over the last six years. It was an incredible undertaking and a great outcome for all involved. The excellent input received from the public (local communities) and the various agencies during the interactive NEPA process served to strengthen the resulting permits and the manner in which the project is expected to be developed.
The receipt of Donlin Gold’s joint Record of Decision (ROD) from the Corps and BLM was a historic first and a momentous occasion. We were joined by Calista and TKC, our partner Barrick Gold Corporation, and both federal agencies for the signing ceremony. Issued four months after the publication of the final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), the ROD was followed by the receipt of key federal and state permits, marking the completion of the multi-year NEPA review process. The Donlin Gold project also received the special permit for the natural gas pipeline from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. Key Alaska state permits, secured in parallel with federal permits, were the air quality, Alaska Pollutant Discharge Elimination System water discharge, and Title 16 fish habitat permits. The state also issued its Clean Water Act Section 401 certification to support the Corps’ Section 404 and Section 10 permit issuance. All are needed to build a technically and environmentally sound, financially responsible, and socially sustainable operation.
Over the last two decades, NOVAGOLD has been actively involved in the areas where its assets are located. In the Y-K region Donlin Gold stakeholders have been engaged in all stages of project advancement, from exploration and discovery to baseline studies and permitting. The perspectives and opinions of those living
in the region matter; more important, their knowledge of the area has enabled us to approach the project in a responsible manner. Since 2010, more than 400 meetings have been conducted, providing us with a forum to respond to questions and engage with residents. In addition to the Corps holding its own EIS hearings in
16 villages and Anchorage during the scoping and draft EIS phases, 66 tribes were invited to participate in the EIS process. Multiple stakeholder workshops were held and newsletters written to provide current and in-depth project information to community members.
It was quite a successful year for NOVAGOLD with two key milestones achieved: first, we completed the National
We’re enthusiastic about the next chapters in project development and looking forward to taking Donlin