Pogo Loader Benefits City of Delta Junction
The view from behind the wheel of a 2018 Volvo wheeled loader, donated by Northern Star Resources Pogo Mine.
A donated 2018 Volvo wheeled loader from Northern Star Resources, Pogo Mine, is helping the City of Delta Junction’s landfill meet its goal of operating a clean and efficient waste management program. Valued at $135,000, the loader significantly expands the capacity of the landfill and directly impacts the city’s bottom line. This donation, combined with Pogo’s annual contribution of $200,000, marks Pogo Mine as one of the city’s single largest donors, according to public records.
“This is an incredibly important primary piece of equipment that fulfills much needed regulatory requirements specifically related to moving top cover as mandated by the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation and directed by the Environmental Protection Agency,” says Lori Roberts, city administrator, City of Delta Junction.
Operationally, the multifunctional loader also helps meet expectations of access to a clean landfill ready to accept garbage. It is a critical workhorse for the day-to-day functions of efficiently emptying dumpsters, pushing trash into the landfill, and creating a safe environment for residents and commercial users.
“Without the availability of the 2018 Volvo wheeled loader, the city would be extremely limited operationally and likely unable to meet the expectations of a fully functional landfill, perhaps even facing the need to shut down,” said Ms. Roberts. “Partners like Northern Star Resources are incredibly important to the City of Delta Junction’s budget, as well as the community at large, and we see mutually beneficial impacts every day.”
The 25.66 ton 2018 Volvo wheeled loader was moved from Fox Gold Mine, traveling 133 miles to the City of Delta Junction. Previously, Pogo Mine donated a 220 loader in 2004.
The loader is used to manage waste at the City of Delta Junction landfill.
The loader donation is just one element in a broader effort to support a healthy, sustainable community. Pogo is also a long-time donor of Alaskans for Litter Prevention and Recycling and their Golden Heart Clean-Up Day, sponsoring the trash bags used by like-minded citizens who understand the importance and value of a clean city.
Since 2023, NSR’s sponsorship of ALPAR has provided a total of 531,210 cleanup bags, representing more than half a million bags of trash and recycling cleared from Alaska communities by a dedicated team of volunteers.
2023: 170,000 NSR bags
2024: 181,400 NSR bags
2025: 179,810 NSR bags
Included in NSR’s 2025 sponsorship were 2,000 bags provided at no cost to communities impacted by Typhoon Halong.
In rural Alaska, NSR-sponsored bags were used to collect and recycle beverage bottles and cans. In 2025 the Flying Cans and Flying Bottles initiative included:
18,464 pounds of recycled cans
1,449 bags of recycled bottles
49 participating communities
“Our care for the environment extends beyond our operations and the mine footprint. A well-engineered and meticulously managed landfill facility is crucial for our surrounding communities and our partnership with the City of Delta Junction helps to ensure that people can feel confident in how area waste is processed.” – Wendie MacNaughton, External Affairs Manager, Pogo Mine.
Pogo Mine runs 24-hours a day, seven days a week, and has a workforce of over 700 people contributing toward efficient and safe operations.