Mining

YCS researches, educates and advocates on mining activities so that the industry is more ecologically and culturally acceptable. YCS regularly pushes for better and stronger mining legislation and regulation; participates in environmental assessments and licensing processes (of both exploration and mine projects) to ensure the highest possible environmental standards are applied; monitors abandoned mine cleanups to ensure they get done; acts as a watchdog for current and ongoing mining operations to make sure they meet their licensing and regulatory obligations; and educates the general public and other parties (i.e. schools, academics, journalists) on key mining issues.

Our Vision

We envision that mining in the Yukon occurs only in places where such activities are ecologically and culturally acceptable. Where mining occurs, it will be based on need for the metal, on sound economics, and it will be done in a way that ensures that perpetual treatment is not necessary. Abandoned mine sites will be cleaned up.

Mining Goals

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To ensure that new mines in the Yukon do not have toxic environmental impacts and minimize impacts from other issues like access and social issues

To support First Nations and communities faced with mining developments in their efforts to protect the environment, traditional uses, and their communities

To replace the Yukon's Free Entry system for mining exploration with a system that protects First Nations rights, sensitive environments, and other economic interests

Current Initiatives

“It’s all fun and games/

Til the mountain loses its soul/

If you can’t mine nicely/

Don’t mine at all”

— Gaining Ground Song 2000 (excerpt from Gaining Ground, Women, Mining and the Environment Report, 2001)

Background

What is Mining?

Mining is the extraction of minerals and metals from the ground. In the Yukon, there are two main types of mining: placer and quartz.

Placer Mining

Placer mining is where gold dust, and flakes and (if a miner is lucky) nuggets, are found loose in gravel. To extract the gold the gravel must be dug up and all the rocks and mud must be washed away from the gold. Placer mining is almost always, in the Yukon, associated with gold mining.

Common Issues:

Placer mining typically involves the destruction of existing streams, river valleys, and wetlands to access the gold bearing gravel. Access roads to placer operations leads to habitat fragmentation and opens up areas to cumulative impacts not only from other placer operations but also different types of industrial activity.

Quartz Mining

Quartz mining is when the metal or mineral is part of another rock, called an ore. This ore is dug up and then the wanted metal is extracted through physical or chemical means. Metals extracted this way include gold, copper, silver, zinc, and lead.

Common Issues:

Quartz mining involves distinct phases: exploration, mining, and site closure/remediation, each with its own set of disturbances.

Exploration can cause habitat fragmentation through access trails and roads. Disturbing wildlife through low flying aircraft and ground based exploration crews are also exploration issues.

Quartz mining usually involves digging a massive pit in the ground to access the ore, although some Yukon operations dig underground shafts. Some operations are a combination of the two. Removing rocks from underground can cause acid rock drainage. Certain rocks, when exposed to air and water, can release acids. This in turn breaks down the rocks further and can release contaminants into surface and ground waters causing pollution issues.
Site closure and remediation is a big issue in the Yukon. Some mines have been abandoned by their operators, forcing both the Yukon and Canadian governments to not only pay but also to perform the proper mine closures and remediation.

Assessment Process

The Yukon does environmental evaluations for most mining activity through the Yukon Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment Board. There is also a licensing requirement for water, dealt with in a separate process through the Yukon Water Board.