(Whitehorse) Yukon Justice Minister Tracy-Anne McPhee says the territorial government remains hopeful mining can eventually resume at the site of the Eagle Gold Mine disaster after its owner was placed in receivership this week.
Mme McPhee said mining remains an important part of Yukon’s economy, but “it has to be done safely.”
The minister and other government officials held a technical briefing to provide an update on what is happening at the site now that Victoria Gold is in court-ordered receivership.
She said the receivership process provides a “pathway” to dig into the company’s finances and assets to cover environmental mitigation work, but the Yukon government is advancing funds to cover “urgent work” in the meantime.
Minister McPhee assured that the decision to go to court to ask for a receiver to take over the company’s work was not intended to bankrupt the company, and that the decision by the Victoria Gold board to resign was made “on its own initiative.”
Mme McPhee says public safety and environmental concerns were not “adequately addressed by the company,” requiring a receiver to step in to take control of the mine after the heap leach pad failed, causing a torrent of cyanide-contaminated material to escape from the site in June.