There was little fresh information during this morning’s technical briefing by the Yukon government into the Eagle Mine landslide disaster.

Interestingly, the latest water samples tested by the government show no trace of cyanide from the mine in Haggart Creek. Last week, that wasn’t the case.

The lack of cyanide matches the results Victoria Gold Corp., the owner of the mine, posted about its water testing last week.

The results of more sample tests are expected in the next few days.

John Streicker, the minister of Energy, Mines and Resources, was the main speaker at this morning’s briefing. The events at the mine have understandably concerned people around the Yukon, he said.

Streicker sent out a follow-up news release reiterating his talking points.

“The heap leach failure at Victoria Gold Corporation’s Eagle Gold mine has the potential for significant environmental impacts, and Yukoners across the territory are justly concerned about what this means to the land, water, animals, economy and the way of life for Yukoners now and for generations to come,” his statement said.

As reported Wednesday by The Yukon Star, on July 5, the government issued a series of orders to Victoria Gold regarding what actions to take following the June 24 slide.

Streicker said at the briefing, “as well, on Wednesday, July 10, we issued an additional inspector’s direction that orders the company to take immediate measures to increase its water storage capacity on site.”

Government officials, though, are not recommending any use of the water downstream from the immediate vicinity of the mine, located about 90 kilometres north of Mayo.

Streicker said the government’s immediate goal is to remediate the situation and find the cause of the leach-heap collapse that triggered the landslide.

“Our intention is to find the root cause of the failure. It’s not intended to fail like this.”

Streicker and the government officials said so far, the company is paying for the work at the site. The government is funding the work its employees are doing at the site from various budgets.

The $104-million security fund provided by Victoria Gold hasn’t been touched.

“In addition, since the heap leach failure, Yukon government officials have gathered information at the mine site to understand the incident and plan a path forward, prioritizing on-site safety. We continue to collect water samples and monitor test results to better understand and mitigate the impacts of the situation,” Streicker said.

“As well, technical experts from the Government of Yukon are engaging with experts from the First Nation of Nacho Nyak Dun to co-ordinate efforts. I want to express appreciation for the expertise and professionalism that these individuals provide, and we are grateful for the collaboration,” he added.

The government is still assessing how much danger there is of more landslides at the site, but hasn’t finalized a conclusion. 

“The Government of Yukon will continue to provide regular updates for the media and the public. We all care deeply about these lands and waters, and we know how important it is for Yukoners to understand the impacts of the heap leach failure,” the minister said.

“We will continue to communicate openly and transparently with Yukoners about this important issue.”