Whitehorse Daily Star

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Photo by Chuck Tobin

Ken McKinnon

Mammoth mine proponent told to provide more data

The application for the largest mine in the Yukon’s history is lacking information, says the Yukon Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment Board.

By Chuck Tobin on January 27, 2015

The application for the largest mine in the Yukon’s history is lacking information, says the Yukon Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment Board.

The board released a ruling this morning indicating the proposal for a copper-gold mine by Casino Mining Corp. does not have sufficient information to begin the official screening and public review.

A 158-page adequacy report issued today includes 449 specific questions the company has been asked to answer.

They deal with everything from a new 120-kilometre access road to what would be one of the largest tailings dams in the world.

Ken McKinnon, one of three executive members of the assessment board, said this morning Casino has not seen the specific questions before today.

But the company is very much aware of the issues that have been raised so far during the application process, he said.

“They have been a very co-operative company to work with, which is understandable, given the size and complexity of the project,” McKinnon said.

Casino now has 180 days to answer the questions or indicate to the board how much more time it will require.

If all the supplementary information is not provided within two years, the application is withdrawn, according to the legislation that governs the assessment board.

Casino Mining is proposing to build the largest mine in the territory’s history, located 150 kilometres northwest of Carmacks. It would be one of the largest open-pit operations in Canada.

The company needs to raise $2.5 billion in capital.

It has already spent some $20 million doing the work required to begin the screening process and secure the necessary permits from the territorial government and Yukon Water Board.

It filed its application with the assessment board a year ago but put it on hold for six months beginning last spring to allow more time to consult with the affected First Nations, particularly the Little Salmon-Carmacks First Nation.

At the peak of production, the Casino mine would be processing 120,000 tonnes of raw ore every day, according to the proposal. By comparison, the former Faro open pit operation was handling 10,000 tonnes per day.

The tailings dam proposed by Casino would be the third-largest dam in the world, standing 286 metres high – 15 times the height of the Whitehorse law centre – and would stretch 2.5 kilometres across the valley floor.

An internationally renowned engineering firm retained by the Little Salmon-Carmacks First Nation issued an assessment report in late November outlining numerous issues with the dam proposal and 82 specific questions that needed to be answered.

Casino president Paul West-Sells said in an interview following the release of the report by BCG Engineering that it would be dealing with the issues raised by BCG and the First Nation.

The company is also proposing to build an LNG facility to provide the power, with a generating capacity of 150 megawatts. That is almost twice the total hydro and diesel generating capacity at the Whitehorse Rapids Dam.

In its summary of the adequacy report issued this morning, the assessment board notes the 449 questions put to the company pertain to several areas of the project proposal: the tailings dam, the LNG plant, the access road, water management, truck traffic and the closure and reclamation plans.

The board is also asking the company to complete a traditional knowledge and traditional land use study for the project.

Comments (6)

Up 5 Down 3

Sally Wright on Jan 31, 2015 at 9:48 pm

The Mount Polley Mine dam failure last year destroyed a watershed, the recovery will take generations, as will Faro. Casino is a boogie man project. The people behind this mine are trying to promote it then sell it. They want to make a killing.

Most Yukon people know a boogie man when they see one. The poor economics of this project will kill it, as long as our regulatory laws aren't circumvented.

The world is changing big projects like this and are a thing of the past, thankfully. There are much more effective ways to fuel economic development.
The next big mine in the territory should be the Whitehorse Dump. There are far cheaper, high grade metals, plastic and biomass in that centralized spot. Long live the Free Store!

Up 8 Down 6

yukon56 on Jan 30, 2015 at 8:05 am

Concerned,
Do you have children in the Yukon? Where will our kids work? They cannot all work for the Government. Mining is not as it was in the Faro era

Up 14 Down 8

Who stated there is toxic waste on Jan 29, 2015 at 3:03 pm

Who stated there was toxic waste? There is a lot resources going into this project from all sides and first nations are working to determine the best interest for everyone.

Up 28 Down 14

Just Say'in on Jan 28, 2015 at 1:15 pm

Somewhere for our kids to work other then a Government job. Value added is always better.

Up 30 Down 28

concerned about this one on Jan 28, 2015 at 11:48 am

The project sounds like an utter nightmare. The size of twelve Faro mines, in terms of daily production. A dam holding back toxic waste, located beside the Yukon River, which is taller than the Hoover Dam and 2.5 km wide. Taller than First Canadian Place in downtown Toronto (the tallest building in Toronto aside from the CN tower).

According to what I have read previously, this mine will be fully tapped out in 25 years. Who is going to monitor and maintain the tailings and enormous dam for the next several hundred years? Look at Faro for the answer to that question, I'm afraid.
If they are able to put aside 6 billion dollars for remediation (Faro's bill to the tax payer, at minimum, x 12), that would be a start. But nothing is worth destroying the Yukon River.

Up 32 Down 14

Wilf Carter This is Why the Yukon will be successful. on Jan 28, 2015 at 11:32 am

Good example of all parties working together to complete development in the Yukon and build our future for all of us. Everyone will benefit in the long run.

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