The news feeds on this site are independently provided by Adfero Limited © and do not represent the views or opinions of the World Gold Council.

Wednesday, 29th November 2006 (1970 views)

The recent Alaskan mining boom is having a positive impact on local communities, according to a leading geologist.

David Szumigala of the Alaska Department of Natural Resources estimates that the value of the mining and exploration industry in the region is now worth more than $2 billion (£1.02 billion) a year and is helping to boost the local economy, reports the Whitehorse Star.

Speaking at the 34th annual Yukon Geoscience Forum, Mr Szumigala explained that the growth in the sector was playing a key role in transforming rural parts of Alaska as well as creating well-paid jobs. He added that such lucrative employment opportunities were set to continue for the foreseeable future as plans for exploration in the area increases.

The influx of investment and engineers is also helping to increase revenue for a number of existing businesses, with local grocery stores seeing a sharp increase in footfall as the mining industry expands in to new regions.

Crucially, the Pogo gold mine is to begin full-production in 2007 and it is expected that this could further enhance benefits to the region. A number of strong environmental controls and checks are already in place to ensure a sustainable approach to the operation.

 

« Back to Gold News stories