South Railroad Mine Project Completes Federal Permitting

WASHINGTON (August 27, 2026) – The Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council (Permitting Council) is pleased to announce the completion of federal permitting for the latest FAST-41 project–the South Railroad Mine. Located 16 miles south of Carlin, Nevada, the open-pit heap leach mine is anticipated to start operations in spring 2027, producing gold by 2028.

“Congratulations to the Bureau of Land Management and Equinox Gold / Gold Standard Ventures (US) Inc. on completing permitting for this critical project,” said Emily Domenech, Permitting Council Executive Director. “As the 21st FAST-41 mining project to complete permitting under the Trump Administration, South Railroad Mine demonstrates how coordination and transparency can provide clear timelines, reduce unnecessary delays, and make permitting more predictable for projects across the country.”

The South Railroad Mine project will construct, operate and reclaim a new gold and silver mine from which ore would be extracted using conventional surface mining techniques and associated facilities. The mining plan includes site roads, power distribution and communications networks, alongside a heap leach pad, process plant and ancillary facilities, supported by an on-site Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) power plant. The project covers about  8,548 acres, including 4,624 acres of BLM land and 3,924 acres of private land. It will create about 1,770 acres of surface disturbance, of which 503 acres will remain permanent.  The mine is expected to operate for approximately 16.5 years, including construction and reclamation. 

"This is what American mineral dominance looks like," said Steve Pearce, Director of the Bureau of Land Management. "By greenlighting this new gold and silver mine in Nevada, we're unleashing domestic mineral production, reducing our reliance on foreign nations, and driving American prosperity for years to come. The South Railroad Mine Project alone will create hundreds of local jobs while producing precious metals right here at home."

“Completion of the required federal permitting process marks a major milestone for the South Railroad Project and clears the way for us to begin early works construction,” said Don Dwyer, General Manager, South Railroad Mine, Equinox Gold Corp. “The transparency, coordination, and schedule discipline provided through FAST-41 gave Equinox Gold greater predictability for business planning, capital allocation, and construction readiness. We appreciate the dedication and collaborative efforts of the local BLM office, the Permitting Council, and the other cooperating federal agencies that helped advance the Project through a rigorous and efficient review process. We are excited to move forward and continue delivering the jobs, investment, and long-term economic benefits associated with the South Railroad Mine for Elko County and northeastern Nevada.”

This project initially came to FAST-41 as a transparency project, before project sponsor Equinox Gold / Gold Standard Ventures (US) Inc. elected to apply for the full benefits of FAST-41 coverage. The Bureau of Land Management served as the lead federal permitting agency. Learn more about the South Railroad project on the Federal Permitting Dashboard.