YUKON
Heap leach slide at minesite worries First Nation
The Yukon Star
More details are emerging about the incident that has shut down Victoria Gold Corp.’s Eagle Gold Mine near Mayo, following what’s being described as a heap leach slide on Monday.
“This morning (Monday), the heap leach pad (“HLP”) at the Eagle Gold Mine in Yukon experienced a failure,” the company said Monday afternoon.
“Operations are temporarily suspended while the site operations team along with management continue to assess the situation and gather information.
“At this early stage, it can be confirmed that there has been some damage to infrastructure, and a portion of the failure has left containment. There have been no injuries to personnel associated with the incident. The company will provide further information as it becomes available.”
The Yukon Star has been unable to contact the company directly.
Victoria Gold shares were briefly removed from the Toronto Stock Exchange as the news was announced, but have resumed trading since.
Shares were selling at $1.10 Canadian this morning, down more than $6 from Monday, prior to the accident.
The First Nation of Na-Cho Nyäk Dun (FNNND) said it “is deeply concerned about reports that a significant heap leach failure caused a landslide at Victoria Gold Corp.’s Eagle Gold Mine.
“At this time, we are heartened that available information indicates that no personnel were harmed in this incident. We remain concerned, however, about the potentially significant and far-reaching environmental impacts, particularly to surrounding waters, fish, and wildlife.”
Early reports indicate the slide occurred near the mine heap leach facility and gold recovery plant, the First Nation noted.
“We are currently in contact with both Victoria Gold and Yukon Government, and the FNNND Lands and Resources Department has already been onsite to understand the cause of the slide and assess the extent and implications of the damage.
“This is a deeply serious incident, and we are monitoring it closely, with our staff on the ground and with our partners in public government,” said FNNND Chief Dawna Hope.
“Our first priority is to minimize the impacts on our lands, waters, and wildlife as well as on FNNND and any other affected First Nations. We will then seek to understand how and why this occurred.”
Kate White, the Yukon NDP Leader and MLA for Takhini-Kopper King, made the following statement today.
“Massive, potentially catastrophic failures like we saw yesterday at the Eagle mine are why the Yukon needs new and tougher mining legislation. The Yukon government has to do better at weighing the long-term risks that are put on Yukoners, and Yukon First Nations especially, when industry gambles on our ecological and economic future,” White said.
“We’ve seen time and again that Big Mining doesn’t pay for the clean up after a big fail. Yukoners and Canadian taxpayers do. Seven generations from now, it won’t matter how much gold came out of that mine. It’ll be infinitely more important that the land isn’t poisoned and that the Na-Cho Nyäk Dun and the people of Mayo have clean drinking water.”
Few details were available at publication deadline today, but a Department of Environment official told The Yukon Star Monday, “This morning, Victoria Gold Corp. reported a heap leach failure at Eagle Gold mine.
“The company has indicated no workers were harmed.
Mine operations have stopped while investigations are underway.
“Natural resource officers will be investigating.”
HEAP LEACH PAD
Source: Yukon News
Victoria Gold Corp. said it “experienced a failure” on the heap leach pad at the Eagle gold mine in Yukon. The company said operations have been suspended while the site operations team along with management continue to assess the situation and gather information. “At this early stage, it can be confirmed that there has been some damage to infrastructure and a portion of the failure has left containment,” the company said. “There have been no injuries to personnel associated with the incident.”
A photo published on the Yukon News website showed a significant landslide. Also, EOS, a landslide blog, posted before and after photos based on satellite imagery.
Last year, the Eagle mine stacked 9 million metric tons of ore on the leach pad, which generated nearly 167,000 oz of gold
UPDATE: Victoria Gold confirms heap leach pad failure and damage to mine infrastructure
A message posted to Victoria Gold's website and sent out via email has confirmed that there were no injuries associated with the failure and landslide at the mine's heap leach facility.
The message also states that there has been some damage to mine infrastructure and that "a portion of the failure has left containment."
Heap leach mining involves the extraction of precious metals from ore using chemicals.
"Operations are temporarily suspended while the site operations team along with management continue to assess the situation and gather information," the message reads.
The company also pledged further information as it becomes available.
Update 12:50 p.m:
A representative of the Yukon government's Department of Energy, Mines and Resources has confirmed that Victoria Gold reported a heap leach failure at the Eagle Gold Mine this morning. Per the department spokesperson, the company has also reported that no workers were injured.
They added that mine operations have stopped as investigations by natural resource officers are underway.
Original Story:
The News has received reports of a landslide at Victoria Gold Corp.’s Eagle Gold Mine north of Mayo.
Submitted photos appear to show a large slide in the vicinity of the mine’s heap leach facility and gold recovery plant.
Requests for information from the CEO of the mining company and the Yukon government Department of Energy, Mines and Resources have not been returned yet.
This story will be updated with additional information as it becomes available.
Contact Jim Elliot at jim.elliot@yukon-news.com
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