Re. the Victoria Gold Corp. heap leach failure, which occurred back on June 24.
Despite several government updates, there remains a scarcity of action at a most critical time in the treatment of this environmental disaster.
The current and planned actions and directives of the Department of Energy, Mines and Resources (EMR) belie the fact that there are two huge sets of questions, the first of YG, and the second of the company, to be answered.
The questions that YG has avoided are those related to its own environmental monitoring of the mine. As stated in the Yukon Star on July 12, a report by a consulting company was completed for EMR. This report included recommendations “based on ‘best practices’ for managing heap leach projects.”
It appears that these recommendations have not been followed, by the company or by EMR. Why not?
As for the term “best practices,” we’ve heard that claim before with the shipment of oil through hazardous waterways, which hasn’t prevented oil spills. Let’s face it – sometimes your best isn’t good enough.
The second question I’m sure is being asked by many Yukoners is: “Where is Victoria Gold?”
We were treated weekly with the great PR spreads. CEO John McConnell: where’s the love gone? Do anyone else’s spidey senses feel that stalling tactics might be in action here?
Despite McConnell’s brief interview with CBC on July 30, Victoria Gold has been notably absent from the scene.
McConnell is certainly right when he states that “there is still a lot of work to do.” But when he said that “there is no longer the potential for major environmental impacts,” I almost coughed up my Cheerios!
How could the release of 300,000 cubic metres of sodium cyanide not create a major environmental impact?
I understand that share prices have plummeted, and I’m sorry for anyone who invested in good faith in a company they thought had integrity.
I’m also sorry for the workers who have perfunctorily had their lives upended due to negligence.
I’m not sorry for the company’s administration – if any other kind of business were involved in an environmental degradation like this, they’d be charged with negligence.
Clearly, both YG’s, and whatever remains of Victoria Gold’s efforts, must be focused on the containment and treatment of toxic materials, and the prevention of more releases. But then YG needs to figure out how to follow its own guidelines.
Certainly there are bright and earnest people working within EMR; there is a need to focus that energy on developing an institutional “attitudinal mindset”; otherwise, nothing will change even with new mineral legislation.
Maybe the question should be whether it’s worth strip mining for gold at all, as Tim Green mused in the same issue of The Yukon Star.
Notwithstanding the wage and contracting benefits to some in the territory, these kinds of mining operations primarily feed an aesthetics consumerism, and aren’t sustainable over seven generations.
They aren’t even sustainable for one generation!
Gerald Haase
Marsh Lake
