The Yukon government is taking matters into its own hands when it comes to the situation at the Eagle Gold Mine.

The government has hired contractors to build a new access road into the site to construct a protective berm around the perimeter.

It’s taking that action after Victoria Gold Corp., which owns the site north of Mayo, failed to do that work. The government had made that directive through the Yukon Water Board in an order filed last weekend.

However, that work is halted at the moment due to a resurgence of a nearby wildfire that is limiting access to the site today. It’s hoped the berm could be completed on Monday.

A major heap leach pad landslide occurred at the minesite on June 24.

Haley Ritchie, a spokesperson for Yukon Wildland Fire Management, told this morning’s weekly technical briefing the Haldane Lake fire advanced Thursday under strong winds and warm weather.

“It’s too big for full suppression,” she said. The South McQueston Road is currently closed due to the blaze.

Lauren Haney, the deputy minister for the Department of Energy, Mines and Resources, called the construction of the berm “critical”.

She made it clear, though, the government’s actions do not mean it’s taking control of the Eagle site. It’s simply doing work Victoria Gold has failed to do.

“The company has not met these orders,” Haney said. “The government is not taking over the site.”

The berm work is important, as the stability of the heap leach pad remains uncertain. The berm will help contain any more landslide material, Haney said.

She said “every effort” would be made to collect the money for the work being done from the mine’s owner.

When questioned by a reporter, Haney said she couldn’t answer whether the company is making legitimate efforts to comply with the government directives.

According to Sevn Bohnet, manager of Major Mines and Operations North with Compliance, Monitoring and Inspections, Victoria Gold hasn’t met “bits and pieces” of the orders it’s been given – including construction of the berm.

Bohnet couldn’t provide a number of how many infractions the company has accumulated. He wasn’t specific on whether the government will take any enforcement action against the company.

Haney said she didn’t have any idea as to why the company has been mostly silent publicly since June 24, nor how long it could continue with its efforts at the Eagle Gold Mine site.

She said she wished the company was more forthcoming about the incident and its clean-up efforts.

Since the mine is closed down, Haney said, the company’s resources on-site are very limited.

She acknowledged that looking at what its shares are selling for on the stock market, the situation “isn’t positive.”

Tyler Williams, a groundwater specialist with the government, said there are indications that more cyanide is being detected in the groundwater around the site.

Groundwater moves slowly compared to surface water, Williams said. A surface water sample taken within days of the landslide showed cyanide in the water of Haggart Creek, but only minimal amounts have been announced since.

On Thursday, a mining engineer working for the First Nation of Nacho Nyäk Dunn told The Yukon Star he had seen groundwater samples in recent days clearly showing signs of cyanide contamination near Haggart Creek.

Later in today’s news conference, though, Williams said government staff hadn’t been able to do any groundwater sampling in a week or more, thus muddying the issue.

He didn’t explain why the samples couldn’t be obtained.

“There is a significant risk to Haggart Creek,” he said, which is just downstream of the mine site.

Cameron Sinclair, a senior fisheries biologist, said testing is underway on the fish populations in the watershed.

Arctic graylings were found dead near the mine site, he said, but no other dead fish have turned up since.

Dr. Sudit Ranade, the territory’s medical officer of health, also spoke briefly on the situation.

As he’s been saying since June 24, Ranade said there’s no indication residents in the area should be overly concerned about cyanide contamination in the water as yet.

Hunting in the area should be safe, he said, and consumption of animals that hunters have harvested should be fine as well.

Ranade said he was “fairly sure” drinking water guidelines are being met at the moment.

No elected officials were at this morning’s briefing.

However, Premier Ranj Pillai, who is in Moosehide, near Dawson City today, announced a “change in leadership” on the Eagle Gold Mine file before today’s briefing.

“Effective immediately for a period of six months, Premier Ranj Pillai has appointed Dennis Berry, president of the Yukon Liquor Corporation, as an interim deputy minister of Energy, Mines and Resources,” said a government statement. “Berry will continue to hold his responsibilities for the Yukon Liquor Corporation.”

“As the head of the Eagle Mine emergency response, Deputy Minister Lauren Haney will continue to be responsible for the following branches: Mineral Resources, Yukon Geological Survey, Assessment and Abandoned Mines and Compliance, Monitoring and Inspection. This additional leadership is intended to serve the ongoing support of the Eagle Mine emergency response and ensure normal department operations will continue uninterrupted,” the statement added.

“By dividing the Energy, Mines and Resources portfolio, Lauren Haney and a delegated response team will be able to lead the emergency response in a meaningful way.”

However, NDP MLA Lane Tredger couldn’t resist criticizing Pillai on social media this morning, mocking outspoken comments on cell phone service problems he made Thursday.

“You know what else Yukoners are ‘pissed’ about? The cyanide leaking into the water at Vic Gold,” Tredger said. 

“It’s nice to see some ‘action’ on cell service, but I sure wish he’d bring some of that ‘take on big corporations’ energy to the ones that are actually under his influence. He hasn’t said a word on Vic Gold in the month since it happened,” the New Democrat said.