Page 4 - Faro Mine Remediation Project
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Fish ponds build for habitat compensation. (Photo Credit - Cathie Archbould Photography)
he Faro Mine Remediation Project is one and environmental health. The project is similar
of the most complex abandoned mine in magnitude to the Giant Mine in the Northwest
Tcleanup projects in Canada. Opened in Territories, which closed in 1999.
1969, it was the largest open pit lead-zinc mine in
the world, at one time. It was abandoned in 1998. Marie-Pascale Rousseau, a Royal Military College
The remediation project was established to prevent graduate and civil engineer, is the Director of
contamination of the surrounding water and land the Faro Mine Remediation Project for Crown-
from the former mining operation. Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada
(CIRNAC). Rousseau explains that the project is
The Faro project is complex because of the mine’s funded by the Government of Canada’s Northern
remote location, about 360km (a 4.5-hour drive) Abandoned Mine Reclamation Program. CIRNAC
north of Whitehorse, YT. Further, the site covers leads the care and maintenance, site monitoring,
25 square kilometres – about the size of Victoria, consultation, urgent works and future remediation
BC – and contains 70 million tonnes of tailings and plan design.
an additional 320 million tonnes of waste rock,
bringing the obvious attendant risks to human Canada is committed to meaningful engagement
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