For Friends of McNeil River the most concerning part of the Pebble Proposal is the industrial port proposed for Amakdedori Beach just outside the boundary of the Refuge and a road to transport materials from the mine site to Cook Inlet.
According to the proposal (POA-2017-271, Section 18.2.2) the Amakdedori site will:
- “serve as the long-term logistics hub for the Project”
- “will include shore-based facilities to receive and store shipping containers and fuel, as well as power generation equipment, a natural gas compressor station for the natural gas pipeline, maintenance facilities, employee accommodations, and offices. A temporary airstrip…will be constructed adjacent to the port site for crew transportation during construction.”
- “…a 50-foot-deep dredged channel and 1,200-foot-daimeter turning basin at the berth. The dredged channel will follow a navigation route approximately 4.2 miles to reach naturally deep water.”
- “…up to 25 Handysize ships will be required annually for the transport of concentrate and up to 30 marine line-haul barge loads of supplies will be required annually.”
- “All dredge material will be disposed of on uplands behind the marine terminal. The estimated initial dredge volume is 10,000,000 cubic yards.”
The access road (POA-2017-271, Section 18.2.3) will:
- “have a 30-foot-wide top width…which will enable two-way traffic…”
- “…begins at the Amakdedori Port north of where Amakdedori Creek meets Cook Inlet and extends northwest to the South Ferry Terminal at Iliamna Lake west of Kokhanok”
