Casino Mine
The Casino Mine is a proposed large (by Yukon standards) copper-silver-molybdenum project located roughly due west of Pelly Crossing and due south of Dawson City. As this project currently stands, the Yukon Conservation Society is utterly opposed to it. Read more in the Casino Mine article from Walk Softly fall 2014. The Yukon has past mining environmental disasters such as Faro and Keno, let's not add Casino to the list.
Presentation on Mine Tailings Dams
The Yukon Conservation Society has developed a Presentation on Tailings Dam about the dangers that large-scale mine tailings dams can pose to the environment. It is available in pdf format. Thanks to funding from a Western Mining Action Network - Indigenous Environmental Network mini-grant, YCS has developed three infographics that highlight our concerns:
Draft Environmental and Socio-economic Effects Statement Guidelines
The Casino Mine Project requires a Panel Review, the highest level of assessment under the Yukon Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment Act (YESAA). The Draft Environmental and Socio-economic Effects Statement Guidelines for this specific project (available online at http://casinomine.panelreview.ca/) were responed to by YCS - Here are YCS's comments. The project proponent has indicated it plans to submit the Casino Mine ESE Statement by December 31, 2017. The ESE Statement will form the basis for the Company’s assessment application for the Panel Review and will include all of the material submitted previously, plus additional information.
Casino Mine exploration camp with ore body and surface exploration disturbance - YCS/Lighthawk picture by Gerry Whitley
Media Coverage
As can be imagined, there has been a fair bit of media coverage on this project. Here are some recent articles:
- Nov 22, 2017, Casino aims to start YESAB panel review by end of 2018
- April 11, 2016, Environmentalist questions Yukon gov't charter with mining company
- April 6, 2016, Public invited to comment on Casino’s mammoth proposal
- Feb 24, 2016, Fifty turn out for meeting on controversial mine
- Feb 19, 2016, Yukon environmentalists applaud Casino Mine review
- Feb 05, 2016, Plans for Casino mega-mine under criticism
- Jan 10, 2014, Critics concerned by Casino mine plan
Casino Mine access road route - YCS/Lighthawk picture by Gerry Whitley
Possible Access Road
There is a possibility this project could make use of the Yukon Resource Gateway Project initiative. Here is some media coverage of this:
- Trudeau announces $360 million for Yukon road upgrades, Sep 2nd, 2017, Yukon News
- Plan may spur ‘environmental fragmentation’: conservationist, Sep 11th, 2017, Whitehorse Star
- Public money for Yukon mining roads is a bad idea, Oct 10th, 2017, Yukon News
- That Time Trudeau Announced $360 Million for Roads to Yukon Mines That Haven’t Been Approved Yet, Oct 12th, 2017, The Narwhal