The Eagle Gold Mine landslide disaster has posed clear and present danger to the culture, well-being and way of life of First Nation of Na-Cho Nyäk Dun citizens.

Chief Dawna Hope drew that conclusion at a news conference held this morning at the Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre in Whitehorse.

The land claims process protects their stewardship of their central Yukon traditional territory, Hope said. As First Nations have negotiated with governments over decades, she said, the Nacho Nyäk Dun final agreement is supposed to be the basis for the path forward, a means of reconciliation, and true collaboration.

“This is unacceptable,” Hope said of the disaster created by the Victoria Gold operation.

“Immediate steps are needed to address the millions of metres of toxic cyanide and other contaminants spreading from the mine site. Every mitigation measure must be implemented to protect the lands, waters, fish, wildlife, and the people impacted by this disaster.”

The First Nation has no confidence that Victoria Gold is in a financially stable enough position to repair the environmental damage, she said. Nacho Nyäk Dun has filed an application to have a receiver appointed to take over management of the Eagle Gold Mine site.

“A change in control at the site is desperately required. This action in court is the only way that we can ensure the steps necessary to mitigate this disaster are being taken,” said Hope.

She believes that such an initiative – which the Yukon government (YG) also took Tuesday – is “much needed and much overdue.”

Hope has strongly suggested the Yukon government  institute a moratorium on all mining activity in Nacho Nyäk Dun traditional territory unless YG and the First Nation can guarantee such a disaster will never recur.

Bill Slater, with Slater Environmental Consulting, said the company has been advising on a variety of mining and other development projects in the area for almost 20 years. It has worked on the Victoria Gold project as well.

The Dublin Gulch stream drains to Haggert Creek, and then on to the Stewart River, and eventually goes down into the Yukon River, he said.

Contaminants will put fisheries in danger, which can heavily impact not only First Nations but also the communities along  streams affecting southern Canada and even the U.S.

He said that the company only responded to environmental contamination after it happened.

“For example, collection of surface water,” said Slater, “so it does not directly discharge ahead and creek. We haven’t observed proactive measures aimed at preventing or addressing safety or contamination issues before they reach critical conditions.

“We haven’t seen site stabilization or physical safety actions. We haven’t seen efforts of groundwater collection, except for seepage that flows directly to the surface and would flow into the stream if collected,” Slater said. 

“The amount of additional storage capacity constructed at the site has been negligible in comparison to what’s needed. Water treatment has been ineffective in achieving a safe discharge.”

He noted Victoria Gold failed to obey YG directions to construct 150,000 cubic metre of additional storage capacity in mid-July to store the solution that is flowing down into the valleys.

The lack of additional storage means that pumping back to the heap leach facility had to be restarted. That is now releasing additional contaminants into the valley and into the groundwater, Slater said.

By July, Dublin Gulch downstream of the site had cyanide concentrations above the effluent standards allowed in the company’s water licence, 10 times higher than the Canadian water quality guidelines for the protection of aquatic life.

Victoria Gold collected 68 dead fish, grayling, sculpin, and burbot in Haggert Creek, following a discharge from the water treatment system from July 31 to Aug. 2.

He added that even the monitoring of cyanide from discharged water from Victoria Gold itself has shown more than six times the effluent standard.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada directed Victoria Gold to install fish fences to keep fish out of affected areas and to remove fish from affected areas.

The heap leach pad remains unstable, Slater said, and the critical dam that was built to retain the heap is suffering erosion on its crest and downstream slope.

Hope said she is “very disappointed in the number of dead fish that have been found at the site, and having to wait to determine whether it was from the groundwater or other places.”

She also mentioned that the residents in the area are really worried about hunting.

“The biggest thing is we’re fighting an invisible war, and they can’t see the hazard that has come out of the disaster, and we’ll work together with YG to make sure that we cover all of that,” she said.

Slater understands YG is working on getting contractors in place and on-site to drill some holes in areas they can access safely outside of some exclusion zones related to the safety issues.