US Labor Dept. vs. Alaska Goldmine: Battle Over Inspections

0:00The U.S. Department of Labor is back in court, asking a federal judge to force a gold mine near Fairbanks, Alaska, to let inspectors in. This is the second time they're making the request against the Alaska gold mine, LLC run by Sheldon and Janie Meyer. The fight kicked off in 2022 when the Mind Safety and Health Administration tried to check to cite for safety issues. Federal law demands yearly inspections at mines like this, one off the Steeze Highway, where they're pulling gold ore from Pedro Creek. The owners insist the operation shut down after a 2023 judge's ruling, and now they just haul dirt for personal landscaping on private. Land, inspectors spotted heavy machines digging and cars parked there in September 2025, even after flying over in a helicopter. Alaska State troopers warned that the mayors called it trespassing and threatened to rest without a court order. The agency hit them with 17 citations totaling $8,134 back then, plus an order to stop work until training proof came through.

1:04The mayors sued inspectors for rights violations, but that got tossed, and they agreed to drop their case last October claiming no more mining. Now attorneys filed for an injunction on April 24, landing before Judge Aaron Christian Peterson. This back and forth shows no sign of slowing, with both sides digging in on whether the site's truly dormant. This has been Anchorage News Today, powered by AI.