Ch. 3 Land - Environment Yukon

such as the Klondike, Faro and
Carmacks areas, have a higher
concentration of roads. Roads crisscross
these areas from lowland floodplains to
high alpine tundra and open up a range
of ecosystems to hunters, visitors and
other prospectors long after the initial
developer has left the area.
Exploration
In some areas in the past, exploration
activity left its mark. Cat trails, all-terrain
roads, trenches and stripped areas have
frequently been abandoned without
reclamation work. In some disturbed
areas vegetation will naturally re-establish
itself after five to 10 years, such as
cuts and tailing piles in some placer
mines in the Klondike and Mayo
regions. At other sites, such as high
alpine trenches excavated in rock and
coarse overburden piles, hardly any
vegetation growth has reappeared even
after 40 years. When the ground is
bare for a long period of time, processes
such as erosion, slumping and permafrost
degradation can occur.
The new Federal Mining Land Use Regulations
(MLUR) require environmental
considerations. Many exploration companies
have changed their operations
independently of government regulations
because of increased environmental
awareness and improved technology.
The combination of larger helicopters
and lighter drilling equipment
has allowed some drilling programs to
leave a smaller footprint on the land.
For example, when diamond drills are
flown to a site, access roads are not
needed. There is also a requirement
for annual reports of activity to be filed
during the life of the program.
Excavators are now often used instead
of bulldozers to dig out trenches as
their smaller size makes them cheaper
to move and to run. They also dig
smaller trenches and can set aside the
organic rich topsoil, which can be
replaced on the surface of the refilled
trench. These excavators can be flown to
exploration sites in pieces, which again
removes the need for access roads.
An increasing number of exploration
companies are conscious of Yukon
wildlife issues. Some companies will
avoid sheep areas during the sensitive
lambing season or caribou areas during
the fall rut. Many camps now prohibit
fishing and hunting.
In spite of these efforts and changes in
regulations, there is still a concern that
exploration activities impact the pristine
nature of wild lands.
Mine Sites
Placer and hard rock mines can affect
the land by:
■ disturbing vegetation and wildlife
habitat and limiting other land
activities such as traditional use,
hunting, trapping and recreation;
■ eroding of soils and slumping or
creating other slope instability
problems;
■ disturbing streambanks and
streambeds, which affects fish and
wildlife habitats;
■ introducing non-degradable materials,
such as equipment, build-
$ millions
55
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
ings, mills, refuse, fuel and drilling
fluids which are at times abandoned
on site; and
■ contaminating soils and receiving
waters with improperly treated
effluent or spills.
Although earlier mines had limited environmental
review, companies who now
wish to construct a mine must go
through a rigorous assessment procedure
under the Canadian Environmental
Assessment Act (CEAA). First, baseline
studies are undertaken to collect
information on the natural characteristics
of the general area. These include
water quality, fisheries, wildlife, vegetation
and traditional land uses. Baseline
studies are important because they
help determine the effects an operating
mine may have on the environment.
New operations incorporate decommissioning
planning and environmental
monitoring into their proposals. Financing
for abandonment is now addressed
during the early stages of mine development.
This Act and its enforcement
are a federal responsibility as of the
writing of this report, however, devolution
of mining is to occur in 2001, at
which time enforcement will be a
Yukon responsibility.
1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998
Figure 3.9 Yukon Mineral Exploration Expenditures
4 4 ❧ Y U K O N S T A T E O F T H E E N V I R O N M E N T R E P O R T 1999