Ch. 3 Land - Environment Yukon

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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
An environmental review committee, with representation from First Nations and federal and territorial government agencies, then examines the information. Public meetings are often held in communities closest to the project. The mine will only proceed to the licensing stage after the environmental review committee has reviewed the baseline studies and mine plans, and the federal government is satisfied that environmental effects will be ameliorated. An important part of the environmental assessment is the abandonment and reclamation plan submitted by the mining company. This plan sets out how the land will be restored after the mine shuts down. It is this stage of mining that has caused the most concern in the Yukon in recent years. The Yukon Mining Industry Prospecting and exploring for hard rock or quartz minerals has had a long history in the Yukon. Each season, the territory is explored for a variety of minerals like gold, silver, copper, tungsten, nickel, coal, lead and zinc. The degree of activity depends on world market prices, demand for minerals and the investment climate. No. of Active Placer Mines 250 200 150 100 50 0 1995 1996 1997 1998 Figure 3.10 Active Placer Mines in the Yukon, 1995 to 1998 Exploration activities are influenced by local discoveries or the availability of new geological maps. Figure 3.9 shows the fluctuations in mineral exploration spending over recent years. In 1998, low prices on the global market for gold and base metals are reflected by low exploration activity. Yukon placer gold deposits contribute up to five per cent of Canadian gold production. The number of active placer mines increased greatly in the late 1970s due to a sharp rise in the price of gold and has remained at about 200 since 1980 (Figure 3.10). The principal minerals produced in the Yukon are gold, lead, zinc and silver. The value of these four minerals from 1985 to 1997 is shown on Figure 3.11. Mineral exploration and production have been the most significant nongovernment economic forces in the Yukon for more than 100 years. For a small economy, the Yukon has made a relatively significant contribution to global lead and zinc production. For example in 1996, production from Yukon mines accounted for 2.1 per cent of total world zinc production and 3.2 per cent of total lead production. When fully operational, the lead-zinc mine at Faro had historically accounted $ millions 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 for about 12 to 15 per cent of the Yukon Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Mineral Potential The complex geology of the Yukon can be roughly split into two rock groups: those north of the Tintina Trench and those south of it. This dividing line cuts northwest to southeast across the territory from Alaska to northern British Columbia, with each side characterized by different types of rocks containing different types of mineral deposits 1. The Tintina Trench is the huge valley formed by the erosion of the Tintina Fault Zone and is one of the territory’s most distinctive and significant physical features. Forces of erosion and deposition have concentrated secondary deposits of gold in river valleys. In most of the Yukon the glacial or ice-melt processes have dispersed the secondary gold deposits or covered them with thick layers of sediments. However, in the Klondike Plateau ecoregion there was little or no glaciation and the gold deposits are relatively undisturbed and easily accessible. Despite many years of exploration activity, the Yukon is still relatively poorly understood from a geological perspective. It is considered to have great mineral potential. 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 Figure 3.11 Yukon mineral production values C H A P T E R 3 L A N D ❧ 4 5 Gold Silver Lead Zinc
Page 1 and 2: The Yukon is situated in the northw
Page 3 and 4: number of humans is immense. As cou
Page 5 and 6: Different data sources for 1999 tha
Page 7 and 8: ■ protecting core areas within ea
Page 9 and 10: within the study area in February 1
Page 11: 3.4 Mining Mining has been an impor
Page 15 and 16: Reclamation and Abandonment When th
Page 17 and 18: first bar of gold on November 23, 1
Page 19 and 20: This creates uncertainty and delays
Page 21 and 22: every year in the Yukon, but the an
Page 23 and 24: Direct Costs: ■ Picking up Whiteh
Page 25 and 26: The Yukon’s beverage container re
Page 27 and 28: Contaminant? In Carcross, the recen
Page 29 and 30: PROGRESS & CHALLENGES Since the 199
Page 31 and 32: with the objective of import replac
Page 33 and 34: still exist along the old trails an
Page 35 and 36: 3.8 Tourism Tourism is gaining impo

Ch. 3 Land - Environment Yukon

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