Canyon Creek Coal Leases

(Content derived from Ground Truth Trekking and Alaska Community Action on Toxics)

DNR’s map of the proposed coal leases

The Alaska Department of Natural Resources has proposed initiating a coal lease sale in Southcentral Alaska, near the town of Skwentna.  The leases cover 13,175 acres and are estimated to contain 257.9 million short tons of subbituminous coal.  The lease process was triggered by a request to the DNR from the Alaska Energy Corporation who expressed interest in exploring coal resources in this area

Many people are concerned that developing this coal lease could threaten already-imperiled Cook Inlet salmon runs, cause air and water pollution, and endanger the local communities.  Additionally, burning Canyon Creek coal will contribute to climate change.

Further Reading

• DNR map of the proposed coal leases
• Ground Truth Trekking’s Canyon Creek Coal Leases page

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