Final Finding and Decision to Hold Competitive Coal Lease Sale Canyon Creek Area near Skwentna, Alaska ADL 553937

Earthjustice and a coalition of environmental and tribal groups are appealing a July 2013 decision by the Alaska Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to lease approximately 13,175 acres for coal in the Canyon Creek area. The appeal argues that the lease is unconstitutional because it grants exploration rights for an indeterminate period, violating the Alaska Constitution's requirement for 'specific periods'. Furthermore, the appellants contend that the DNR ignored the foreseeable impacts of climate change, seismic risks, and severe health hazards to workers and local communities. They also argue that the economic benefits are exaggerated and that the project would cause irreversible damage to salmon habitats and watersheds, citing similar findings from the nearby Chuitna project.

• The current regulatory framework for coal leases in Alaska is unconstitutional because it allows for leases of an 'indeterminate period', whereas Article VIII, Section 12 of the Alaska Constitution requires that exclusive rights of exploration be granted for 'specific periods'.
• The DNR's decision to lease the Canyon Creek area ignores the significant contribution to climate change that the extraction and combustion of the estimated 258 million tons of coal would cause.
• Coal mining at Canyon Creek may increase the risk of earthquakes by altering pressure on the Castle Mountain fault line through the removal of rock, coal, and water.
• Coal mining poses severe health risks to workers and nearby residents, including black lung disease, COPD, and increased mortality rates, which the DNR erroneously believes can be fully mitigated by existing regulations.
• The project is likely to cause irreversible damage to critical fish habitats, specifically for five species of Pacific salmon, and could destroy hydrologic flowpaths that cannot be recreated.
• The DNR's assumption that the lease will provide significant economic benefits is exaggerated, as evidence from other states suggests coal mining can result in a net cost to state budgets due to infrastructure and health expenditures.
• The most feasible transportation method for the coal is by railroad, which would likely result in significant coal dust pollution and risks of spills into sensitive marine ecosystems, including the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge.
• The combustion of Canyon Creek coal in Asia could lead to mercury emissions that return to Alaska via air and ocean currents, bioaccumulating in species consumed by Alaska Natives.

APA

Earthjustice (2013). Final Finding and Decision to Hold Competitive Coal Lease Sale Canyon Creek Area near Skwentna, Alaska ADL 553937. https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/canyon-creek-admininstrative-appeal.pdf

Chicago

Earthjustice. Final Finding and Decision to Hold Competitive Coal Lease Sale Canyon Creek Area near Skwentna, Alaska ADL 553937. 2013. https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/canyon-creek-admininstrative-appeal.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Earthjustice |title=Final Finding and Decision to Hold Competitive Coal Lease Sale Canyon Creek Area near Skwentna, Alaska ADL 553937 |date=25 July 2013 |url=https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/canyon-creek-admininstrative-appeal.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{earthjustice2013final, author = {{Earthjustice}}, title = {{Final Finding and Decision to Hold Competitive Coal Lease Sale Canyon Creek Area near Skwentna, Alaska ADL 553937}}, publisher = {Earthjustice}, year = {2013}, month = jul, url = {https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/canyon-creek-admininstrative-appeal.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }