Questions about holding Victoria Gold accountable for missed deadlines or taking over for the mining company completely were largely brushed off by officials.
The Government of Yukon held its fifth technical briefing on the heap leach failure at Eagle Gold mine on Friday.
Yukon government officials on the panel began the briefing by acknowledging that Victoria Gold has missed many deadlines set out by inspector’s directions since the incident on June 24. When pressed by reporters on what it would take for the government to completely take over remediation efforts, Deputy Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources Lauren Haney was hesitant to define the final straw.
“If the company were to walk away, then we would certainly be prepared to step in,” said Haney on Friday. “The step between here and that potential scenario remains unknown, at this time. We take it one step at a time, one decision at a time.”
Haney also said that with a wildfire in the area, the Yukon government had stepped in to build a safety berm to allow groundwater monitoring wells to be installed safely.
Following Carcross/Tagish First Nation’s July 24 statement supporting the First Nation of Na-Cho Nyäk Dun and White River First Nation’s demand for an independent investigation, Director of Mineral Resources Kelly Constable said that the government was looking into it.
“We have been engaging the First Nation of Na-Cho Nyäk Dun on this,” said Constable. “There have been discussions this week, and we’re currently at the point where terms of reference have been shared and reviewed together.”
“We are also in the process of collaborating on understanding who some candidates might be to sit on that panel to undertake that work.
C/TFN’s statement also said that its citizens would no longer support future mining activity within its traditional territory. Deputy Minster Haney said that analysis and decisions regarding future mining are in the hands of the Yukon Cabinet.
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