A “potential leak” of a containment pond that’s storing contaminated water at the Eagle Gold Mine has yet to be confirmed — and there remains no clear timeline for its confirmation, according to a Yukon government communications staffer.
John Thompson, who works in communications for the territorial Department of Energy, Mines and Resources, told the News by email on Jan. 9 that confirming a leak isn’t possible until the pond has been emptied and fully assessed.
“It will remain a ‘potential leak’ until this confirmation can occur,” he wrote.
The Yukon government was informed about the possible leak on Dec. 28, 2024, via PricewaterhouseCoopers, the receiver that a court put in charge of the mine to oversee clean-up from a landslide that occurred on June 24, 2024. The government recently announced that it and the receiver in charge of the mine are monitoring one of the contaminated water storage ponds, recently excavated on the mine site, over concerns the pond may be leaking.
The pond and linear system will need to be repaired if a leak is confirmed and the pond is meant to be used for storing contaminated water, according to Thompson. The water that’s currently being stored in the pond will need to be transferred to another location for the work to happen.
Thompson said the feasibility of emptying the pond during the winter is currently under examination.
A government statement published Jan. 3 that announced the possibility of a leak described “irregularities in storage pond volumes” and indicated that its regulatory and enforcement agencies are watching out for impacts to nearby Haggart Creek. An investigation into what caused the change in water volume is underway and the water in the pond is being diluted in hopes of reducing its toxicity.
Water levels at the site are “at a critical level” and more storage in the pond is needed to avoid overflows, as noted in the government’s latest update.
— With files from Jim Elliot
Contact Dana Hatherly at dana.hatherly@yukon-news.com
