Mining News: Reclamation draws 200 to Yellowknife

About 100 scientists, engineers, and regulators attended the 2009 Northern Latitudes Mining Reclamation Workshop held in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Sept. 8-11. Presenters delivered 22 professional papers during the two-day workshop, and participants also took field trips to the Snap Lake diamond mine and the now-dormant Giant and Con gold mines, which once were the heartbeat of Yellowknife.

The capital of Northwest Territories was a fitting location for the workshop, since the two large gold mines that once dominated life in this northern community of nearly 20,000, are now undergoing reclamation and closure that present significant environmental and engineering challenges.

The community wishes to see the head-frame for the distinctive Con mine remain, since it is virtually an icon for Yellowknife. The reclamation and closure challenges also present some opportunities for the community. For example, geothermal heat from the Con mine may be used to heat the downtown area, thereby reducing the need for expensive heating oil.

Canada’s Department of Indian and Northern Affairs, which is charged with overseeing many of the country’s reclamation projects, has budgeted some C$3.5 billion for its efforts to cover legacy sites in Northwest Territories, Yukon Territory, and Nunavut. Legacy sites include various mineral producers, including uranium at Port Radium, lead and zinc at Pine Point and gold at the Colomac mine.

Workshop attendees heard presentations on a variety of subjects, including reclamation case studies, the contaminated sites program of the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, and a series of papers on the “reclamation tool box.” Topics ranged from the inclusion of the traditional knowledge of indigenous groups in planning reclamation programs to an overview of the characteristics and potential beneficial use of mine pit lakes. The Pebble Partnership, which is focused on developing the mammoth Pebble copper-gold-molybdenum deposit in Southwest Alaska, presented a paper on ways to protect the tundra from damage during exploration drilling activities.

The Northern Latitudes Reclamation group is an ad hoc association for individuals, governments and companies involved with mine reclamation and closure with emphasis on northern mines. It first met in 2001 in Whitehorse, and workshops are held every two years. Alaska will host the next workshop in 2011.

—Mining News