RE:RE:RE:Amazing how the remediation number arrives right on timeWell Swingandmiss, JMs recent comment about the cause likely being due to an "Uncontrolled Fluid Build Up" does make sense.
I suggested a few weeks back that the heavy equipment would of had to be on or near the toe edge of the pad somewhere between the HLP Pond and the slope edge just before it took the slide and perhaps had something to do with this. And now JM's comment about Uncontrolled Fluid Build Up to me likely means one of three things:
1. The Uncontrolled Fluid Build Up was perhaps the result of snow melt (from winter stacking of ore and snow accumulation during the winter) that caused a significant amount of snow melt water and leach solution to build up and accumulate at the toe end of the pad. With the fluid perhaps even hidden / concealed just under the ore and not noticable, hence 'Uncontrolled' because it was not noticed at the time and so Uncontrolled, or
2. The Uncontrolled Fluid Build Up was perhaps due to a solution pipe break (to one of the larger solution pipes that went undetected and fluid pooled at the toe of the pad) and couldn't be controlled because there's no way to stop the flow other than stop the solution pumping from the ADR plant and even then there stilll plenty of solution in the piping and milions of gallons of solution on the pad that could have become uncontrollable (you'd think there'd be shut off valves at avries stages up the pad to shut off flow should a leak occur but apparently not) , or
3. The heavy equipment worker was doing embankment enhancement work at the toe of the pad and may have been unknowingly sitting right on top of the Uncontrolled Fluid Build Up and unintentionally triggerred the slide due to the instability the Fluid Build Up would have likely caused. Normally heavy equipment itself wouldn't likely trigger a slide event, however, it is possible the heavy equipment operator was unintentionally poking away at a sensitive area of the pad near the slope edge and away she went. The slide had to of been triggered near the toe area or I suspect alot more than 4 million tons of ore would have slid and a lot more than 2 million tons would of left containment.
When I watched the video of the Turkey Copler mine slide, I got a whole new appreciation for how dangers these slides can be and just how much material and how far that slide can go. That Copler mine slide video was 2 minutes long and slide material was still moving in some areas, incredible!
The fact that JM stated in his recent news release that they had now stabilized the pad suggest that they have a pretty good idea what caused this.
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McConnell said the company modified its water treatment plant to make it "a cyanide destruction plant" and has stabilized the heap leach pad. " 'It's over': Victoria Gold board quits as Yukon mine goes into receivership, CEO says | CBC News And now the Justice Minister is coming out and talking about fixing this and getting things back to the way they were bfore the slide. So how bad are things up there on the pad?
I hope that a 3rd Party Independent investigation is done and the results released because without it, reopening the mine will be a hard sell to FNs.
My opinion only. DYODD
HB77