Pogo gold mine fined $600K for violating hazardous waste law

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - A gold mine in Interior Alaska was fined this week for failing to properly store and dispose of hazardous waste materials, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

The agency handed down a $600,000 fine to Northern Star Resources Limited, which owns the Pogo Mine, among other assets around the world.

Located in the mountains east of Fairbanks — approximately 37 miles northeast of Delta Junction — the mine is a major producer of gold. In 2022, Pogo Mine dug up almost 250,000 ounces of gold and employed just over 600 workers, with an additional 300 contracted employees.

The penalty comes after an EPA inspection in 2019 that found approximately 364,450 tons of waste material in the gold mine that hadn’t been properly treated, as directed by government regulations.

According to the agency, the mine handled hazardous waste without testing it through laboratory work. It also treated, stored and disposed of waste without a permit, and stored waste in a pair of unlabeled “belowground” tanks, which take in waste from lab tests. The agency said the underground tanks measure 762 gallons each.

EPA officials said Northern Star’s actions violated the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.

“Strict accountability for hazardous waste is vital to protecting people and the environment at every step of the way,” EPA Region 10 Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Acting Director Stacy Murphy wrote in a statement.

“Companies are required to take responsibility for these materials for their entire lifespan and must be held accountable for failing to do so.”

The company was ordered to remove the tanks that held hazardous materials and clean up any contamination, as part of the settlement with EPA.