WHITEHORSE – After a year of unknowns following the heap leach pad failure at Eagle
Gold Mine, the Yukon Chamber of Mines (YCM) appreciates learning that what occurred
is definitively preventable and that this knowledge will help provide exploration and
mining, its regulators and Yukoners with greater safety and certainty.
The Independent Review Board (IRB), struck by the Yukon Government in August 2024
and reporting to the mine’s receiver PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC), researched
dozens of other heap leach facilities around the world and determined this technology
can operate effectively, safely and importantly, in northern climates.
“We appreciate the work of the Eagle Gold Mine Independent Review Board and its
report recommendations,” says YCM Executive Director Jonas Smith. “As this incident
was preventable, we hope the board’s recommendations will provide certainty for our
industry, as the Yukon’s largest private sector contributor. We can now move forward
together positively with regulators and First Nations to re-set public trust and investor
confidence and to help ensure something like this never happens again.”
In response to the release of the IRB’s report and recommendations, Yukon
Government has stated the territorial government “won’t license any new heap leach
facilities at Yukon mines until an independent review board’s findings are ‘fully reflected’
in territorial licensing and enforcement policies.” (Yukon News, July 8, 2025).
“The IRB report makes over 50 recommendations, many of which are already in
progress here in the territory or in practice in other jurisdictions, whereas others
reference yet-to-be-developed legislative tools or externally-developed guidelines and
standards,” continues Smith. “We implore Yukon Government leadership to act quickly
and decisively and work with industry to develop a clear timeline on a path forward.”
Referring to the licensing of future heap leach facilities in the territory and how this may
impact the Eagle Gold Mine. “The sale of this property must proceed as expeditiously as
possible to garner the greatest financial potential for both taxpayers and affected
creditors and so Eagle’s new owner can complete the required remediation work to
restore environmental safeguards at site,” adds Smith. “This will create much-needed
certainty for our industry and allow other potential heap leach projects to continue
advancing their respective projects, while incorporating the important lessons learned
through the IRB report.”
The Yukon Chamber of Mines membership is deeply committed to the environment and
Yukoner’s health and safety.
“We live here. We are raising our own children here,” concludes Smith. “Responsible
mining contributes enormously to what we enjoy as Yukoners, through careers, support
for local businesses and charities, economic reconciliation, while also supporting the
Canadian economy. We need more Yukon mining, not less.”
To learn more about the Yukon Chamber of Mines, please visit yukonminers.org.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Amanda Leslie
Mosaic Communications for the Yukon Chamber of Mines
yukonmosaic@gmail.com
867.334.4770