‘Heap leach failure’ leads to slide at Yukon’s Eagle gold mine, no reported injuries

A landslide following the failure of a leach platform at Victoria Gold’s Eagle mine has halted operations at the site in central Yukon.

Victoria Gold confirmed in a press release on Monday that operations have been temporarily suspended while the situation is assessed.

“At this early stage it can be confirmed that some damage has been done to the infrastructure and that part of the outage has already been resolved,” the press release said.

“There were no injuries to any staff in connection with the incident. The company will provide more information as it becomes available.”

Chief Dawna Hope of the Na-Cho Nyäk Dun First Nation told CBC News that her First Nation was notified early Monday morning of the “significant” landslide at the mine site. The mine is on the First Nation’s traditional territory.

John Thompson, a spokesperson for the Yukon government, told CBC News in an email earlier Monday afternoon that Victoria Gold had reported a “heap leach failure” at the mine. He said investigations were ongoing.

The heap leach facility at the mine site uses a cyanide solution to seep through ore, stacked in 10-meter layers, to dissolve the gold. The company’s website says that about a million tons of ore are processed this way each month.

The Eagle Mine employs approximately 500 people, plus contractors and consultants. “As a result, Victoria Gold makes a significant contribution to the economy of local communities and the Yukon,” the company’s website states.

Thompson said officials with the Department of Natural Resources will investigate the incident.

The Yukon Workers’ Safety and Compensation Board said Monday it was also investigating. The board also confirmed that the heap leach failure “resulted in a material shift,” and said no injuries had been reported.

Hope said her First Nation also responded.

“Our technical crew and environmental monitors are our eyes and ears on the ground and we are just waiting for more updates,” she said.

“We are concerned about the environment and the water, but we are very happy that no one was injured.”

The Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization has also halted trading in shares of Victoria Gold Corp.