Natural Resources Development

Over the years, Hoffman Silver Gilman & Blasco has frequently worked very successfully with natural resources development industries, including logging, mining, fisheries, and oil and natural gas.  We represent the companies, the people, and government groups in the areas where they operate.  Read on for a sampling of natural resources development problems our firm has tackled and solved.

Kensington mine

The firm worked with Coeur Alaska and Coeur d'Alene mines on a major mining project 30 miles from Juneau.  This project is one of the largest gold mines in Alaska.  It has been in environmental planning for over ten years.  Securing approval to store mine tailings in a permitted area of U.S. jurisdictional waters involved working with many government agencies, including—

As a result, the project was fully permitted after the completion of the Environmental Impact Statement under the National Environmental Policy Act.  The federal mining plan of operations and critical permits such as the Section 404 and 402 permits under the Clean Water Act were issued.  Then followed extensive litigation which resulted in the U.S. Supreme Court upholding the federal permits.

Alaska oil and gas development policy

Hoffman Silver Gilman & Blasco worked exhaustively over the years on opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil exploration.  We also were instrumental in the passage of the Alaska Natural Gas Transportation Act and the establishment of Wetlands Rules under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act which permits development of projects in the lower 48 and Alaska.

Renewable energy

Passed with the assistance of our firm, the Southeast Alaska Intertie Bill provided financial authority for the U.S. Congress to contribute nearly $45 million to the construction of the Swan-Tyee Intertie in southeast Alaska.  This project provided for the conveyance of hydroelectric power.