Yukon gov't inspectors find violations at Hecla Mining's Keno Hill project - Action News
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Yukon gov't inspectors find violations at Hecla Mining's Keno Hill project

Yukon mine inspectors found a series of problems at the Hecla Mining Company's Keno Hill property last month, including sediment runoff from tailings facilities, poor storage ofhazardous materials, hydrocarbon stains on the ground, and discharged water that was toxic to fish.

Report from June notes concerns with tailings facilities, water discharge, and hazardous material storage

Piles of containers and scrap material are piled beside a muddy drainage sump.
A photo from a June 27 inspection report on Hecla Mining's Keno Hill project shows a full drainage sump at the mine's dry stack tailings facility. The report found a number of licence violations at the mine site. (Yukon government)

Yukon mine inspectors found a series of problems at the Hecla Mining Company's Keno Hill property, according to a recentreport.

Inspectors raised a number of concerns, including sediment runoff from tailings facilities, poor storage ofhazardous materials, hydrocarbon stains on the ground, and discharged water that was toxic to fish.

"When you say are there lots of infractions found, well, I can tell you there's 11different pieces of legislation, all kinds of rules that have to be followed, and we do everything we can to help our companies comply with those requirements,"said Will Tewnion who's with Yukon's department Energy, Mines and Resources.

"We've identified the infractions, and we're working with the company toward compliance."

The inspection report is based on a visit to the underground silver mine by two natural resources officers on June 27.

The report describes concerns with the dry stack tailings facility (DSTF) at the mine, where piles of toxic tailingswereslumping, and erosion channels were visible in the material.

"The ditches and sumps used for directing run off water from the DSTFwere full of sediment. Sediment runoff from the DSTF appeared to leave containment on the southern slope facing the Mill," the report reads.

The inspectors also pointed to improper handling of hazardous materials at the mine, such as bags of copper sulfate and zinc sulfate both corrosive,"acutely toxic,"and environmentally hazardous that were being stored out in the open, or had spilled and were mixing together. Sulphuric acid was also being stored outside and uncovered, in violation of the mine's hazardous materials management plan.

A pile of sacks labelled 'copper sulfate' are piled in a shed.
A photo in the inspection report shows sacks of copper sulfate with zinc sulfate spilled on top. (Yukon government)

At the mine's Bermingham deposit one of five deposits at the mine site discharged water was found to have failed the "96-hour Rainbow Trout LC50 test," meaning the water samples killed 100 per cent of rainbow trout frywithin 24 hours.

The report also describes several new vehicles stored at the mine site, some of which had full drip trays spilling onto the ground. There werealso "several" hydrocarbon stains visible on the ground, it says.

The report, posted online on July 18 by the Yukon Water Board, includes notes indicating that the company has since addressed some of the violations, while others are still under investigation orsubject to "discussions" with the company.

Idaho-based Hecla, which also operates mines in Alaska, Quebec and Idaho, says it produces more than 45 per cent of all silver in the U.S. The company declined an interview with CBC News about the Keno Hill inspection report, but company spokesperson Mike Satre provided a brief comment by email.

"Hecla is committed to environmental excellence at all of its operations, including Keno Hill. We always seek to continuously improve our operations and will address all deficiencies," he wrote.

An overflowing spill tray is seen underneath a vehicle.
A photo from the June 27 inspection report shows an overflowing spill tray at the mine site. The inspectors also found several hydrocarbon stains on the ground. (Yukon government)

Lewis Rifkind, a mining analyst with the Yukon Conservation Society, said his organization has "serious concerns" about the recent inspection report.

He highlighted the rainbow trout test as a particular concern.

"Basically, water is going through water treatment, but it's not meeting the standards that the water licence dictates it should and is then being discharged into the receiving environment."

He questions whether the Yukon government is being tough enough with mining companies, to ensure they abide by their licence requirements. He points to some issues highlighted in Hecla'sJune inspection report that were apparently not new such as spilled copper sulphate that had been noted by inspectors in April, and still not properly cleaned up months later.

A man with a beard and glasses stands outside on an urban street.
'If a mining company is not following the rules of its various licences, throw the book at them,' said Lewis Rifkind of the Yukon Conservation Society. (Dave Croft/CBC)

Rifkindsays he's not reassured when government officials say they're working with companies on compliance.

"I think it's time for [Energy, Mines and Resources]to be, you know, a bit more strict with these mining companies. You know, they are the inspector. They are the enforcer.They are the heavy in the room," he said.

"If a mining company is not following the rules of its various licences, throw the book at them, finethem, charge them, make them protect the environment."

With files from Jackie Hong