The First Nation of Na-Cho Nyäk Dun wants an immediate halt to all mining activity on its lands following the June 24 landslide at the Eagle Mine.

In a statement issued just before noon today, the First Nation also asks for an independent investigation and review of the incident at the Eagle Mine. It calls the situation “potentially catastrophic.

“The severity of the contamination from cyanide and other chemicals has not been publicly conveyed. This event has implications for all life in the region, something so crucial that Alaska and Canada recently committed to a seven-year moratorium on salmon fishing,” the First Nation pointed out.

“We have been sounding the alarm for decades on the need for sustainable development and responsible mining,” Chief Dawna Hope said. “Mining companies and the Yukon government must suspend industrial activity immediately.

“A complete and independent evaluation is crucial to understanding the environmental and health impact of this most recent event,” Hope added.

“What is currently in place is insufficient, and not being monitored or enforced and contributed to this event. A pause on mining will ensure that the necessary checks and balances are in place to protect these land and waters, wildlife and people,” she said.

The Yukon government responded to the statement from the First Nation quickly. 

“We remain committed to working with the First Nation of Na-Cho Nyäk Dun to determine a path forward,” it said early this afternoon. “Our top priority in the immediate term is safeguarding the health and well-being of people and the environment.”

The government has received the results of area water tests and plans to discuss them at a media briefing scheduled for Thursday.

The chair of the Yukon Salmon Sub-committee also says he’s very concerned about the possible environmental damage the landslide at the mine 90 kilometres northeast of Mayo could cause to the already-endangered salmon stock in the area.

There are fears that cyanide used at the mine, which is owned by the Victoria Gold Corp., could have leaked into the water table.

There is still little information available from official sources. The mine’s heap leach pad collapsed, causing the landslide.

Dennis Zimmermann of the salmon sub-commitee spoke with The Yukon Star late Tuesday afternoon.

“We definitely have some thoughts about the situation,” he said. “This could be a major stressor on the salmon. Cyanide and salmon don’t mix well. We want to minimize all of the stressors on the salmon.”

The sub-committee’s goal is to preserve salmon stocks in the Yukon to maintain this vital part of the ecosystem, economy and lifestyle. The sub-committee meets throughout the year to study, discuss and make recommendations considering vital salmon stocks in the Yukon.

Zimmermann said one of the main obstacles is the lack of information available to the sub-committee and other concerned parties as to exactly what is happening.

“We don’t have any first-hand information,” he said. “We want a full accounting. We want to know what the potential leakage is, we want to know the full and immediate danger. We want to know what provisions are in place. We are playing catch-up right now.”

Victoria Gold hasn’t issued an update since the day of the incident – and isn’t responding to media requests for elaboration on several points.

The Yukon government has said it’s in contact daily with the company, but did not provide any details of those discussions at a briefing held June 28.

Zimmermann called the watershed in the area a “productive area” with healthy stocks, unlike some of the areas in the Yukon.

That’s the way the organization would like to keep it.

“The stocks found there are very important to the area,” he told the Star. “We’re hoping every protection is in place. We need to know how those stocks are doing.”