Yukon told of ‘potential leak’ from toxic pond at failed Eagle Gold mine

By The Canadian Press on January 3, 2025.

Victoria Gold's Eagle gold mine site north of Mayo, Y.T., is shown in this handout aerial photo taken July 3, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO - Yukon Government

WHITEHORSE – The Yukon government says it has been told there is a “potential leak” in a containment pond holding toxic water at the Eagle Gold mine, where millions of tonnes of contaminated rock were spilled last year.

It says that receivers PricewaterhouseCoopers Inc. informed the government and the First Nation of Nacho Nyak Dun about “irregularities in storage pond volumes” on Dec. 28.

A statement from the government says regulatory and enforcement agencies have been told, and water monitoring will determine if a leak from the newly constructed pond is having an impact on nearby Haggart Creek.

It says that the pond’s water is being temporarily diluted in the meantime to “reduce its toxicity.”

Tests in November had shown mercury levels above “water quality objectives” at four sampling sites, and other tests have shown cobalt and cyanide levels above quality standards in Haggart Creek.

The mining operation has been closed and operator Victoria Gold Corp. put into receivership since millions of tonnes of cyanide-laced rocks spilled from the facility 480 kilometres north of Whitehorse in June.

The mine used chemicals to extract gold from piles of ore in what is known as heap leaching.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 3, 2025.