Donlin Team Recognized

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1 NewsleTTer March 2012 Village Visits Please join us for a project update meeting and to share your thoughts about the project. Severe weather may cause a meeting cancellation or rescheduling. To get an updated list of the village meetings please visit or call (888) April Village Visits April 2 Napakiak April 3 Quinhagak April 4 Tuluksak April 5 Eek April 9 Kasigluk April 10 Kwethluk April 11 Akiak TBD Bethel Donlin Team Recognized for Air Evacuation Efforts The Alaska Air Carriers Association (AACA) recognized Donlin Gold with a special award at their annual convention in February for Donlin s air evacuation efforts of residents during the Crooked Creek flooding disaster. The AACA Emergency Transport Award recognizes an aviation team or pilot who, through a particular rescue/ transport, exemplified professionalism and expediency saving lives. The AACA said Donlin s generous, immediate and tireless service to evacuate the citizens of Crooked Creek village in May 2011 merited the award. Donlin Gold staff Bill Bieber, Boise Alexie, Ricky Ciletti, and Jayhawk helicopter pilot, Mark Barker, who assisted with the evacuation at the Donlin camp, accepted the award on Donlin s behalf. Bill said their emergency response was a team effort, and emphasized the company s commitment to communities in the Yukon Kuskokwim region. The success of that rescue was a huge group effort. It wasn t just select individuals, everyone at the camp participated at some level, Bieber said. We don t do these kinds of things for recognition, it s just a neighbor looking out for another neighbor. As the town of Crooked Creek became inundated with water, residents reached Donlin Gold received the AACA Emergency Transport Award. out to Donlin Gold for help. Donlin employees quickly formed a response team and a plan, and transported more than 50 elders, parents and children from the village to the camp with the helicopter. Donlin also flew emergency supplies to 80 people who remained at higher elevations in Crooked Creek. Donlin Gold is honored to receive this award from the AACA, which promotes strong safety values and professionalism among Alaska s aviation industry as well as stewardship to Alaska s communities.

2 Face to Face with Stan Foo Public input is a very important part of our planning process, and we would like to hear from you. Send mail to: Donlin Gold 4720 Business Park Blvd. Suite G-25 Anchorage, AK Phone: (907) (888) toll free For more project information visit us online at To voice concerns or complaints about the project contact us at complaint@donlingold.com or (855) A Shared Heritage with the Last Great Race March is one of my favorite months; the days are getting longer, there is more sun throughout the day and temperatures begin to rise. If you are a sports fan like me, you know it is also time for March Madness basketball, spring training for baseball and in Alaska the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. The Iditarod is a significant annual event throughout Alaska, including the Yukon Kuskokwim (YK) region. This year s race provided great competition, getting down to the last few checkpoints before Dallas Seavey made his move to take the lead from Aliy Zirckle, becoming the youngest winner of the event. This year s top 10 mushers also included two young men from the YK region: Pete Kaiser of Bethel and Mike Williams, Jr. of Akiak. The Iditarod celebrated its 40th anniversary this year, however, mushing has been a part of the YK region for many generations and shares a long history with mining in Alaska. Dog teams have been used in the region to support many activities including trapping, mail delivery, prospecting, travel, freighting and mining. With the development of gold discoveries in the Kuskokwim Gold Belt in the late 1800s and early 1900s, dog teams transported supplies and miners to various settlements and mining sites during the long Alaska winters. Trails were blazed and expanded to provide safe trips for mushers and their dogs. miles north of the Donlin Gold project. This year the Historic Iditarod Trail is celebrating its 100th anniversary, when mushers first used the trail to deliver supplies and mail to the gold camps including Iditarod, Ophir, Flat and Nome. Last summer, a small helicopter-supported crew from Donlin Gold, which included some of our local employees from the region, helped make the Iditarod trail safer, and possibly a bit faster, by clearing brush and debris that built up as a result of forest fires in the Post River area. All of us at Donlin Gold are proud to be involved as a Principal Partner Sponsor of the Last Great Race, which promotes strong safety practices among all mushers to ensure their teams of canine athletes arrive safely and are properly cared for during their 1,049-mile race to Nome. We look forward to supporting the Iditarod in years to come and celebrate its cultural significance among the region. We d like to congratulate all of the mushers and their teams for their hard work and dedication in preparing for this event. Stan Foo General Manager Donlin Gold The Historic Iditarod Trail is named after the Iditarod mining district, located about 50 Timeline 16 Years of Exploration and Environmental Studies The proposed project is defined by Donlin Gold. Natural Gas Pipeline Studies are conducted. Feasibility Studies are conducted. Permitting Process - 3+ years Regional and Tribal Consultation with State and Federal Regulatory Agencies National Environmental Policy Act will require an Environmental Impact Statement. There will be opportunities for formal public comment during the permitting process. Agencies define the scope of the permitting process. The findings of permitting processes are drafted. The final permit findings are submitted. Construction Up to 3,000 jobs 3-4 Years Operation Up to 1,400 jobs 27+ years Continuing exploration Mine closure and reclamation Up to 22 jobs Ongoing Mine Site and Water Monitoring Up to 5 jobs Start Permit applications Permit Decision

3 A Picture Perfect iditarod Celebration This year, the world s longest sled dog race celebrated its 40th anniversary. As a Principal Partner Sponsor of the Iditarod, Donlin Gold wanted to give race fans something memorable to take home from the ceremonial start. Donlin set up a photo tent where fans, friends and families could take a professional photo with 2011 Jr. Iditarod winner Jeremiah Klejka and one of his winning dogs, Guinness. The photos were free and printed on-site so participants could take them with. In addition to providing the new photo event, Donlin Gold also sponsored Mike Williams Jr. in this year s Iditarod. Born and raised in Akiak, this was Williams third time competing in the Last Great Race. Mike Jr. has been mushing since childhood, helping his father, Mike Williams Sr. train for many of the races he s participated in over the years. Both father and son mush to raise awareness for sobriety, although Mike Jr. focuses his campaign on youth sobriety. Donlin Gold enjoyed participating in this year s Iditarod and supporting the event, which has strong ties to the Yukon Kuskokwim region.

4 GeTTing Goods to the Mine: Careful Logistics Planning Donlin GOld Project Road Access Jungjuk Port Site Donlin Gold Natural Gas Pipeline Study Route Bethel Barge Route Barges would transport cargo to the mine site and a proposed natural gas pipeline would supply on-site power to the project. The Donlin Gold project is located in a part of Alaska that is not connected by road to the rest of the state. Residents in the Yukon Kuskokwim region and employees at the Donlin camp rely on various modes of transportation including ATVs, snowmachines, airplanes, helicopters and boats to get around. Due to the remote location of the Donlin site, careful consideration has been given in the planning of transporting materials and supplies needed to build and operate the mine. Over 100,000 tons of equipment and supplies would need to be transported to the site every year during operation, in addition to fuel for vehicles and heavy equipment. The logistics of getting supplies to the project site is complex, involving the use of ocean-going tankers and barges, river barges, two ports, an airstrip near the mine, an access road to the Kuskokwim River and a buried natural gas pipeline. Most general cargo for the mine would be consolidated at marine terminals in the Pacific Northwest for marine barging to Bethel. At Bethel, cargo would be unloaded from marine barges and placed in temporary storage, or transferred directly onto river barges for seasonal shipment to the Jungjuk Port site, located on the Kuskokwim River eight miles south of Crooked Creek village. Proposed facilities at the Jungjuk Port site include barge berths, a barge ramp, container-handling equipment, seasonal storage for cargo containers and fuel, and office facilities for seasonal barging operations. From Jungjuk, cargo would be transported by truck on a 30-mile private access road to the mine. Because the Kuskokwim River begins to freeze in October and the mouth of the river doesn t usually clear of ice until late May, the shipping season for both ocean barges and river barges will be limited from early June through early October. Protecting the River In response to concerns about increased traffic on the Kuskokwim River, Donlin Gold has conducted numerous studies to better understand the potential effects on river and subsistence activities in the region. Data from these studies are helping Donlin create a safe and environmentally sound mining project. Information from these studies and stakeholder feedback has also led Donlin to incorporate a buried natural gas pipeline into its plans to supply power to the project on-site and decrease the number of barge trips required for fuel delivery. The proposed 312-mile-long buried pipeline would transfer natural gas from Cook Inlet to the proposed Donlin mine site. Throughout the planning process, the Donlin team has been working with stakeholders along the proposed pipeline route, to identify and minimize any potential effects during both construction and operation. The proposed pipeline would be buried most of the route and the right-of-way would be reseeded after construction so that only small check valves would be visible aboveground every 20 miles.

5 The proposed Jungjuk Port site. A proposed longer airstrip would be built several miles from the mine. Transporting Fuel Fuel that would be used for heavy equipment, vehicles and other machinery would be transported to Dutch Harbor by tanker, then to Bethel in marine barges. From Bethel, fuel would either be transferred directly to river barges, or off-loaded for temporary storage. Double hull river barges would transport fuel up the Kuskokwim River to the Jungjuk Port site, where it would be transferred to a fuel storage facility at the mine site using tanker trucks. Significant attention has been given in planning the safest and most effective means of river transportation in response to residents concerns over the possibility of a fuel or hazardous chemical spill during barging. Some of the safety precautions incorporated into the design include: developing detailed ocean, river, and land response plans, training personnel and response teams, and providing suitable equipment for response to spills at critical locations; using shipping containers that exceed industry standards for the transport of hazardous materials; using custom-designed double hull barges for fuel transport; and reducing the volume of diesel fuel requirements with a buried natural gas pipeline. Careful planning for the unlikely possibility of a fuel spill is one of the most important parts of any industrial development plan of operations. In fact, agencies will require review and approval of spill prevention and contingency plans before issuing permits. Road Access Cargo and fuel offloaded at the Jungjuk Port terminal would be transferred to trucks and transported about 30 miles by road to the mine during the barging season. The proposed private road would not pass through or near any settlements or communities, and would have no junctions with any existing road system. Mine employee housing and camp facilities would be located along the road west of the mine facilities. A number of stream crossings would be required along the access road, using both bridges and culverts. The primary purpose of the road would be to transport cargo and fuel, and would only be used by mine employees. Expanding Air Service Personnel and some supplies would be transported by air. There is currently an airstrip at the Donlin exploration camp that has been in use for the past 16 years. A new 5,000 foot airstrip would be constructed approximately nine miles west of the mine site.

6 4720 Business Park Blvd., Suite G-25 Anchorage, AK (888) Prst Standard US Postage PAID Permit No. 69 Anchorage, AK February WoRD of the Month Winner Congratulations to Walter Lee, our Word of the Month winner who guessed the correct amount of times the word education was referenced in last month s newsletter. Monthly Word Game Win A Prize! Join Donlin s word game by finding out how many times the Word of the Month was referenced in the newsletter. Each correct answer will be entered in a prize drawing. March WoRD of the Month: Iditarod Please submit your answer by April 20, by at info@donlingold.com or mail it to the address listed on the back of this newsletter. NeWTok Village Visit Photo captions (from left to right): Xavier John wins a snowmachine helmet as part of Donlin s winter safety campaign. Donlin staff travel to Newtok to provide residents with an update on the project and answer questions. Peter John of Newtok entertains meeting guests with his harmonica. Donlin Gold is committed to creating a safe and environmentally sound mining project that provides opportunities for families in the Yukon Kuskokwim region to live in healthy and prosperous communities