https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/
Victoria Gold excavated a pit to hold contaminated solution — but failed to line it
Yukon government inspection reports released to the public this week reveal the scale of what transpired at the Eagle mine site near Mayo — and what’s being done by Victoria Gold to address it. An inspection report dated July 20 describes a series of failures by Victoria Gold to adequately address cyanide solution leaks.
The company’s post-failure water treatment plan “does not sufficiently describe” plans to store and treat daily leaks of 15,000 to 20,000 cubic metres of toxic solution — enough liquid to fill up to eight Olympic swimming pools.
Experts believe there could be hundreds of millions of litres in the heap, which typically takes about 45 to 90 days to cycle through ore.
In an apparent attempt to increase storage capacity at the mine site, Victoria Gold workers excavated a dirt pit to fill with contaminated solution. But that pit was “significantly less” than what the company was directed to build, and did not include a liner, meaning any contaminated water stored there could enter groundwater.
For the rest of this article: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/eagle-mine-july-23-documents-cyanide-leaks-1.7272765