Chickaloon Coal Leases

Plans for developing the Chickaloon Coal Field in the Matanuska Valley were previously abandoned in 2007, but were resurrected in 2011 when the Alaskan Mental Health Trust Authority (AMHTA) offered up 10,000 acres of coal leases.

The Matanuska Valley has been a historically important source of coal in Alaska. Mining began near Chickaloon in the 1890s, with a peak during the early 1920s as a source of Navy coal. However, the area has not had any operating coal mines since the 1960s.

In 2006 a Canadian company that specializes in Alaskan mining, Full Metal Minerals, obtained a coal exploration lease for 23,000 acres of land in the Matanuska Valley Moose Range from the AMHTA who owns the subsurface rights to the land. Citing several concerns, primarily strong local opposition to the project and technical difficulties to extract the coal, Full Metal Minerals relinquished the claim in April 2007. 

Current status

In November 2011, the AMHT offered 10,000 acres in the Chickaloon area up for coal leasing.  In January 2012 the results were announced with a winning bid of $3 million.  The leases were purchased by an Australian company called Riversdale, which is a subsidiary of the international mining giant Rio Tinto.  Riversdale will still have to apply for exploration permits before any activity can take place on the leases.

Date Created: Mon, 19 Apr 2010 18:49:48 -0800

Last Modified: Fri, 6 Jan 2012 12:50:56 -0900