Kinross's current plan for transporting ore is dangerous and unacceptable.

The recent Mahn Choh proposals in Tetlin have raised concerns over how the project was started. The lack of governmental oversight in the process, which is required of most operations of this magnitude, is also alarming.

Kinross and Contago want to use Alaska’s public highways to transport ore in vehicles that will weigh more than 164,000 pounds when loaded. The proposed 200-mile route to haul this ore to a refinery north of Fairbanks will cross five bridges. Many of those bridges were built during the World War II era.

This situation poses risks to our communities because:

1. The normal protocols for environmental safety have been ignored for this project. This allows the possibility of damaging the environment and eliminating vital food resources for our Native communities in the area.
2. Questions concerning the proposed ore-haul route have been ignored. The public highways will be used by numerous 96-foot-long ore haulers. The lack of proper vetting of safety protocols for school buses, bus stops, bridges and pedestrians is unacceptable.
3. The ability to ensure the safety of the people in our communities has not been proven. Dangers related to “man camps” have been shown to accompany operations in the extractive ore industry, including:
   • An increase in violent crime.
   • A drain the resources of a region wherever they begin operations.