Advocates for Safe Alaska Highways (ASAH), founded in 2022 in Fairbanks, is a grassroots nonprofit formed to confront the serious risks posed by the Manh Choh gold mine project – an open-pit gold mine and the 80-ton fully-loaded, 95-foot tractor trailers that will haul the rock roughly 250 miles daily along public roads—including narrow, icy stretches of the Alaska and Richardson Highways used by families, school buses, and emergency vehicles. In addition to traffic dangers, the project threatens regional air and water quality, yet no environmental impact statement has been completed. ASAH urges government agencies to reject the current haul route and instead require safer alternatives. As well, the group demands transparency and accountability from Kinross Gold to protect public health, road safety, and vital subsistence resources from irreparable harm.
Led by a small team of committed longtime Interior Alaska residents, ASAH emerged in response to Kinross Alaska’s refusal to process ore onsite at the Manh Choh mine near Tetlin. Instead, the company plans to truck raw ore more than 150 round trips per day to a mill near Fairbanks—threatening road stability, wildlife crossings, and rural communities along the route. ASAH’s advocacy has already led to stronger enforcement of weight limits on key bridges and drawn attention to overlooked safety risks in state reports. With over 2,600 petition signatures and a strong presence at borough meetings, public hearings, and conferences with elected officials, ASAH is making sure that community voices are not ignored. Through events, public comment campaigns, and watchdog efforts, ASAH continues to hold industry and government accountable—ensuring that Interior Alaska’s people and environment aren’t sacrificed for corporate convenience.