First Nation of Na-Cho Nyäk Dun invited to join the review process at any time.
Over two months after the heap-leach failure at Victoria Gold’s Eagle Gold mine, the Government of Yukon has launched the independent technical review of the incident.
In a media release on Friday, the Yukon government announced that the independent review had begun, and named the three technical experts who were selected to be on the Independent Review Board; geotechnical expert Professor Jean-Marie Konrad from Laval University, civil engineer Les Sawatsky from Teleo Engineering Limited, and gold heap leaching engineer Mark E. Smith.
According to the release, the Yukon government has extended an open invitation to the First Nation of Na-Cho Nyäk Dun to join the review process at any time.
In related news, Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in First Nation has added its voice in support of Na-Cho Nyäk Dun’s demand to suspend all mining activity other than care, maintenance, and remediation within its traditional territory. After Carcross/Tagish and White River First Nations, Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in is the third First Nation to support Na-Cho Nyäk Dun’s demand from July 3.
On August 5, Premier Ranj Pillai issued a statement to say that such a halt would have legal and economic consequences, but that the Yukon government would not license a new heap leach facility in the territory until after the Independent Review Board’s work is done.
Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in’s September 3 release went on to say that the First Nation is happy to continue working with the Yukon government to develop and adopt modernized mining legislation.
The Yukon government released a What We Heard report on new mineral legislation last week. It is available online at https://yukon.ca/en/what-we-heard-new-minerals-legislation-engagement