Current information suggests the failure at the Victoria Gold Eagle Mine had not affected drinking water for the Village of Mayo
Author of the article:
The Canadian Press
Ashley Joannou
Published Jun 27, 2024 • Last updated 3days ago • 2 minute read
![Dams, storage ponds, used to hold contaminated water after Yukon mine landslide (2) Dams, storage ponds, used to hold contaminated water after Yukon mine landslide (2)](https://i0.wp.com/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital/financialpost/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/0628-bc-yukon.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288&h=216&sig=P3_NL9RTKn-zsLHf1BTACw)
MAYO, YUKON — Contaminated water that overflowed in a landslide and equipment failure at a Yukon gold mine is being pumped into storage ponds, while the investigation continues into what went wrong, the territory’s Department of Energy, Mines and Resources said.
We apologize, but this video has failed to load.
Try refreshing your browser, or
tap here to see other videos from our team.
Dams, storage ponds, used to hold contaminated water after Yukon mine landslide Back to video
We apologize, but this video has failed to load.
Try refreshing your browser, or
tap here to see other videos from our team.
Minister John Streicker said in a statement Wednesday that current information suggested the failure at the heap-leach facility at the Victoria Gold Corp. Eagle Mine on Monday had not affected drinking water for the Village of Mayo, about 80 kilometres south of the mine.
Advertisem*nt 2
Story continues below
This advertisem*nt has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY
Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.
- Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman, Victoria Wells and others.
- Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.
- Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.
- National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.
- Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.
SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES
Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.
- Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman, Victoria Wells and others.
- Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.
- Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.
- National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.
- Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.
REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES
Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.
- Access articles from across Canada with one account.
- Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.
- Enjoy additional articles per month.
- Get email updates from your favourite authors.
Sign In or Create an Account
or
View more offers
Article content
The slide pushed contaminated water outside its containment area and over an embankment, the department said.
Heap leaching uses chemicals to percolate through crushed ore, allowing it to extract gold, and the company’s website says the Eagle Mine uses a cyanide solution in the process.
Streicker said “out of an abundance of caution” drinking water will be monitored for contaminants “until more is understood about the details of the event.”
He said natural resource officers are assessing the site’s compliance with the terms and conditions of the mine’s licences.
“It’s too early to speak to the cause of the heap leach failure. What’s clear at this point is that the failure involved a slide of the ore stacked in the heap leach facility,” he said.
“The slide caused ore to spill over the embankment at the base of the heap facility. The slide appears to have damaged some mine infrastructure.”
A statement from the department said the company quickly built dams to hold back contaminated water, which is now being pumped into ponds.
Streicker said his ministry continues to operate long-term water quality monitoring stations upstream and downstream of the mine.
Advertisem*nt 3
Story continues below
This advertisem*nt has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Article content
Neither the territorial government nor the company have said how much contaminated water spilled.
The First Nation of Nacho Nyak Dun, whose traditional territory includes the mine site about 500 kilometres north of Whitehorse, said it’s concerned about “potentially significant and far-reaching environmental impacts” on water, fish and wildlife.
Streicker said the government has been communicating directly with the First Nation, the village and Victoria Gold.
“We recognize that many Yukoners are concerned about the potential environmental impacts of this failure. We are committed to working closely with the First Nation of Nacho Nyak Dun as we determine next steps,” he said.
“As a mining regulator, we remain committed to ensuring that the environment is protected, and that will guide our future actions at the site.”
Recommended from Editorial
- The workhorse at the heart of Canada's mining industry
Work at the mine has been halted since the failure on Monday. The company has said that no one was injured.
The mine employs approximately 500 people as well as numerous contractors and consultants, according to the Victoria Gold website.
Article content
Comments
You must be logged in to join the discussion or read more comments.
Create an AccountSign in
Join the Conversation
Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information.
Trending
- Has Canada become the land of extreme inequality? Some believe it more than others
- Fixed rates drop again; three-year mortgages remain biggest crowd-pleaser
- What a billion-dollar portfolio manager thinks about fixed income
- Posthaste: Plummeting job vacancies another sign Canada’s economy is under the gun
- Why the Bank of Canada will wait until September for its next cut: Dawn Desjardins
Read Next
This Week in Flyers