A vast wave of earth slid from the heap leech facility at Victoria Gold’s Eagle Gold Mine on June 24, 2024. This event would expose cyanide-drenched ore to the wider environment and the Yukon’s entire system of mining regulation to intense scrutiny for the rest of the year.
The immediate aftermath of the slide was marked by a lack of information released by the company responsible leaving employees, shareholders and the rest of the Yukon population with questions. One concern raised was the differing reports on injuries related to the slide with Victoria Gold first stating there were no injuries but later information via the workers’ compensation board confirms one injury and two workers who received First Aid attention on the day of the slide.
The First Nation of Na-Cho Nyak Dun (FNNND), in whose traditional territory the mine is located, would call for a moratorium on mining across its territory shortly after the slide. It received backing from other First Nations and interest groups. About a month after the First Nation issued its demand, Premier Ranj Pillai came forward to say the government would temporarily pause discussions on new mining licenses in FNNND territory as well as new heap leach mine licenses until an independent review of the mine landslide was complete. He said a halt of existing projects couldn’t be done.
Information came out through the summer on Victoria Gold’s efforts towards stabilizing the heap leach facility, constructing contaminated water storage and bolstering water treatment.
The company’s CEO, John McConnell, broke his silence to express optimism about a new water treatment system in late July. A July 31 discharge of water from the treatment facility was immediately followed by the deaths of fish downstream of the mine. Yukon government monitoring detected cyanide in excess of guidelines in the creek where the fish died and told reporters it was believed the deaths were the result of the discharged water.
In August, Victoria Gold was placed in receivership by court order with Pricewaterhouse Coopers to oversee the rest of the clean-up from the landslide. McConnell was fired by the receiver shortly thereafter.
The mine landslide remained in the headlines through the rest of the year as its economic and environmental impacts were discussed in the Yukon legislature and FNNND called on the federal government to audit the Yukon’s response.
Contact Jim Elliot at jim.elliot@yukon-news.com
