Faro Mine: News Archives
Recommended Closure Plan for the Faro Mine Complex
February 9, 2009
A committee of senior officials from Canada, Yukon and Affected First Nations has reached a consensus on a closure plan for the Faro Mine Complex.
Governments have been working for over five years on the development of a closure plan for the Faro Mine, an open-pit lead-zinc mine that ceased operations in 1998. Since 2003 when Yukon government took over management of this site, over 100 technical studies and assessments have taken place in order to characterize the potential environmental impacts at the mine. An initial 12 alternatives were created based on technical studies and meetings with all levels of government and affected communities. After an Independent Peer Review, the alternatives were refined into five options. Further discussions, technical reviews and evaluations resulted in the recommendation of the current plan.
The plan will address various elements of human health and safety and protection of the environment, maximize socio-economic benefits for affected First Nations and other Yukoners and manage long-term risks in a cost effective manner. The overall estimated cost for the project is $450 - $590 million. Work completed to date has been funded by the Government of Canada under the Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan (FCSAP).
The recommended closure plan involves a stabilize-in-place approach. Just like it sounds, this approach will include upgrading dams to ensure tailings stay in place during natural events such as earthquakes and floods. In addition, all waste rock will be re-sloped to improve long-term stability and engineered soil covers will be installed over all tailings and waste rock. The plan also provides for state-of-the-art collection and treatment systems for contaminated water.
Implementation of the closure plan will begin once the regulatory and environmental and socio-economic assessments are completed and the project receives final approval. This process could take between two and three years.
The major construction phase is expected to take about 15 years. Ensuring jobs and business opportunities for affected Yukon First Nations and Yukoners is one of the key objectives of this project. The construction phase will be followed by an adaptation phase of approximately 20-25 years in which all of the various on-site elements - soil covers, structures, collection and treatment systems, etc - will be tested, monitored and improved as required.
Read Newsletter Issue #9 February 2009 Faro Mine Closure UPDATE.
‹ Read the previous entry | Read the next entry ›
News Archives
Recent Headlines
- Hunters near the Faro area: Donate Your Organs!
- The Information You Need.
- Employment Opportunities: Grum Sulphide Cell Project
- Care & Maintenance Quarterly Meeting
- News Release: Remediation Work to Begin at Faro Mine Site
- Faro Project Management Team Keeps Growing
- Latest Faro Closure Update Newsletter On-Line
- CORRECTION - on public tender for Grum Sulphide Cell Project
- Public Tender Open on Grum Sulphide Cell Project
- Job Fair in Ross River