A Yukon First Nation is pressuring the territory’s assessment board for the highest level of assessment it says is needed for a nearby mining project.

In a release issued Tuesday, the White River First Nation (WRFN) is insisting that the Yukon Environmental and Socio-Economic Assessment Board (YESAB) push the proposed Coffee Creek gold mine project to the highest level.

It is currently before an executive committee, which is the second-highest level.

The executive committee is made up of three people, including the board chair.

According to a YESAB webpage, 95 per cent of assessments are done at the Designated Office level – which is the initial level. Only very large and complex projects make it to the executive committee.

In its 12-year history, YESAB has advanced a project only once to the highest level in a full panel review. That was in 2016, involving the Casino mine project.

Now, White River is calling on the Yukon government to support it in advocating for a more serious and fair process.

Speaking to the Star this morning, the First Nations’s lawyer clarified its stance.

“They’ve already said they’re in favour of development, but it’s got to be responsible development, by way of a proper process at a full panel,” said Vancouver-based Robert Freedman.

In contrast, the neighbouring Selkirk and Tr’ondek Hwech’in First Nations have accepted YESAB bringing the proposal to its executive committee.

White River, meanwhile, took direct aim at the company behind the project in its release.

“The WRFN Traditional Territory and supporting historic ad current use information affirm our clam to our asserted Aboriginal rights,” it says.

It goes on to say that “these rights were exercised in the project area long before both Kaminak and Goldcorp acquired the mineral claims.”

White River is one of three Yukon First Nations in the territory that does not have a final agreement.

That means there is no legal agreement between it and the federal and territorial governments.

This limits White River’s constitutionally-protected rights in matters dealing with its economy, wildlife and resource and land management.

As a result, it feels its “concerns are being put to the side, and that’s really a big problem,” added Freedman.

Among the concerns are the environmental impact the project would have on surrounding areas.

“This area is important to WRFN history, culture, and way of life. We share this area with other Nations, and I’m sure all of us want to make the water, wildlife and land the priority for our people,” the release reads.

YESAB’s online registry showed that the Yukon and Canadian governments received Freedman’s submission in late April.

“WRFN members also expressed concern that all Project interactions would occur within a larger context of existing and future adverse cumulative effects,” it reads.

“WRFN’s previous experience with the destruction of key habitation and gathering sites, and traditional trails, declines in key species (especially caribou and salmon), and residential school trauma, together make the Study’s VCs (valued components) more vulnerable to adverse negative impacts from the Project,” it continues.

The Yukon government has also committed to upgrading the existing roads in the area, which will see increased traffic thanks to other surrounding projects.

The proposals of other mines in the area also mean a new road would likely have to be built.

“This is the first of likely many mines and a huge road network. It could be detrimental if its not properly managed,” said Freedman, referencing the mining giant.

A Vancouver-based company, Goldcorp purchased Kaminak in 2016 for $520 million.

A big point of sale was Kaminak’s ownership of the Coffee Gold project, located south of Dawson City.

The first preliminary economic assessment was done in 2014.

Four years later, the project is back on track and now before YESAB’s executive committee – but not before coming with a multimillion-dollar price tag.

The company estimated in 2017 that bringing the mine into production would require another $420 million in investment.

Some $50 million of that is expected to go toward exploration of building and maintaining a camp, work at the site itself and costs related YESAB’s assessment report.

With the deadline for construction to begin looming – it was expected to begin mid-2018 – White River’s objections could stall the process: something that Freedman is well aware of.

Adding that Goldcorp shouldn’t be surprised by the community’s position, Freedman said that “the process should be extended because the company rushed its application, they didn’t fully study the impacts.”

“They’re living with the consequences now,” said Freedman, referencing Goldcorp.

“About a year and a half ago, we said, ‘don’t file it until we do final studies.’ And they filed it anyhow.”

If YESAB chooses to examine the option of advancing the project to a full panel review, it could also push back the date of production of the mine, which was originally scheduled to open in the latter half of 2019.

The board is now to rule on the submission to see if the review should be advanced to the full panel review, while White River is set to submit formal requests in the coming weeks to the Yukon government.