Whitehorse/CMEDIA- Mercury levels that reportedly “exceeded the water quality objective” were found, the Yukon government says in a creek near the site where a mine’s ore containment facility failed, causing a torrent of cyanide-contaminated rock to escape in June.
High levels of cyanide and dissolved metals continue to be detected, a statement from the government says, in the groundwater at testing sites closest to the Eagle Gold mine slide where millions of tonnes of ore was released.
Although officials were not seeing unsafe levels of cyanide in the downstream environment, Friday’s statement says, “the mercury level exceeded the water quality objective at one monitoring station” south of the site on Sept. 24 and 26.
More information is being gathered by the government,the statement says to understand the data and its impacts on the environment 480 kilometres north of Whitehorse.
Questions about the mercury have been directed to the Department of Environment, and it said early next week it would provide answers to those questions.
The Yukon government announced in August that an independent review of what went wrong is underway and the mine owner, Victoria Gold, is in receivership.
