The receiver in charge of remediation at Victoria Gold’s Eagle Gold Mine, located north of Mayo, is set to begin discharging water from the site that meets neither federal standards nor a water licence amended to allow the discharge of partially treated water.
Since, August 2024, Pricewaterhouse Coopers has been in control of the mine site that was damaged by a June 2024 landslide that broke the containment of the cyanide-laden heap leach facility there.
In early January it was announced that the water licence at the site was amended to allow the discharge of partially treated water from the site due to the “critical level” that water storage capacity was at there. Those discharges hadn’t taken place as of Jan. 3, but a Feb. 13 notice from the territorial government says that discharges began on Feb. 12 to prepare for the spring snowmelt. Per the territorial government, the receiver considers discharging water now critical to an uncontrolled discharge of water containing cyanide.
The government notice states that the water being discharged has elevated levels of copper in it and is not fully compliant with federal regulations or the amended water licence. The amendments to the licence relaxed allowed levels of copper, particulate solids and cyanide but remained compliant with federal standards aimed at protecting fish. According to the government’s Feb. 13 update, the water remains in compliance with the rules regarding cyanide.
“Work is underway by the Receiver to build a settling pond to reduce copper in the treated water to reach licensed limits. In the coming weeks, once the settling pond is completed, water discharge is expected to meet all required conditions,” the government statement reads.
About 3,000 cubic metres of water, more than the volume of an Olympic swimming pool, is expected to be discharged daily until the settling pond is ready.
Prior to any impacts the discharged water may have, the government is reporting that water flowing from a leaking contaminated water storage pond may negatively impact fish life downstream in Haggart Creek. The leak has not been found yet but Yukon Energy, Mines and Resources Minister John Streicker told the News on Jan. 13 that water volume in the pond had fallen by half in the opening weeks of January.
Water quality data collected since suspicions of the leak arose show increased levels of cyanide, cobalt, chloride and nickel. Recent data puts the cyanide levels at more than twice the B.C. acute aquatic life guidelines, having reached .021 milligrams per litre.
The government has pledged to hold a technical briefing on the issue on Feb. 18.
— With files from Dana Hatherly
Contact Jim Elliot at jim.elliot@yukon-news.com
