Mine workers ready respirators and go-bags as Red Dog contends with hazardous gas buildup

By Max Graham – Anchorage Daily News

A buildup of hazardous gas at Alaska’s Red Dog mine in recent weeks forced the huge zinc and lead operation to fit workers with respirators and ramp up air monitoring at the mine and in nearby villages.

Since November, reactive ore and waste rock at the remote Northwest Alaska mine has been generating higher-than-usual amounts of sulfur dioxide — a colorless gas that, in high enough concentrations, can cause health problems.