VG - The second DOF got involved with the 68 fish that lost their lives Victoria Gold was done like toast.
YTG, EMR and FN then had the leverage to shut it down and apply for a receiver via DOF regulations. Prior to that VG was still cleaning up and working on it. Haggart Creek had polution long before the VG incident and that was reported when the "lack of containment" material spilled and them "undercut" and mixed in with the existing mining tailings from the last 100 years of acitivity
The lack of "concern for the fish" was taken as a direct offence by YTG and FN.
So the net result is that each of the Sculpin may end up costing taxpayers 1 million each and the greyling maybe 2 million each (they're bigger).
It woud have been better to spend 100million on Haggart Creek remediation (forget the "landscaping") and let VG continue, bring ALL involved to justice then take another 100million and build a say "Community Centre for Youth?" in Mayo and move on.
Instead this massive display of DFO, YTG and FN has and will create an environment of mistrust for ALL future mining endevours.
Who wants to put millions into a territory where at the whim of the government assets are just placed on the auction block. Based on all the unsecured creditors in Whitehorse alone it's going to be a harsh winter..
If no fish had persished this would have been a different story. Government spokesperson says company submitted plans, which aren’t public Lets see those records, whats in them? Current situation
August 23, 2024
The Government of Yukon is establishing an Independent Review Board to identify the causes of the June 24 heap leach failure. The scope of the review has been finalized, and we are in discussions with experts who are interested in serving on the board. We will announce the members of the Independent Review Board soon.
Work is underway to install five groundwater monitoring wells at the mine site. Pelly Construction is being mobilized to start work on a safety berm that will allow groundwater monitoring wells to be installed safely closer to the slide area. Precautions are being taken and plans are in place to ensure the safety of workers close to the heap.
Following the failure, and prior to August 8, a diversion pipe carried clean water from upstream of the mine site, around the failure, and into Dublin Gulch. As of August 8, under an inspector’s direction, the diversion pipe was extended directly into Haggart Creek, bypassing Dublin Gulch. This measure has had a significant positive impact on the levels of cyanide observed in Haggart Creek. From August 9 to 15, much lower concentrations of cyanide were observed at all surface water monitoring locations in Haggart Creek. 80% of samples received during this period have been non-detect for WAD cyanide. This is still a dynamic situation that always has potential to change.
The 68 dead fish found in Haggart Creek following the discharge event are now in the possession of Environment and Climate Change Canada. Department of Environment staff are working with them to gain access to those fish to scan for tags and determine the number of Arctic grayling, slimy sculpin and other species that may be in the collection.
An aquatic life monitoring plan has begun, as developed by technical experts with the First Nation of Nacho Nyak Dun, the Department of Environment, federal departments, and technical consultants. The fisheries and aquatic monitoring programs are aimed at providing Department of Environment with an overview of how these populations may change over time, including if they are affected by heavy metals.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/yukon-victoria-gold-cyanide-spill-1.7260001