Areas subject to On-going Negotiations
On this page
Sites in areas subject to on-going comprehensive land claim negotiation
| Site Name | Phase |
|---|---|
| Crestaurum Mine | Assessment |
| Dome Lake Mine | Assessment |
| Gordon Lake area sites (Burnt Island, Camlaren Mine, Goodrock Mine, Kidney Pond, Murray Lake, Storm Property, Treacy Mine, Try Me, West Bay-Blackridge Mine) |
Assessment |
| Johnston Lake Mine | Assessment |
| O'Connor Lake Mine | Assessment |
| Pine Point Railbed | Assessment |
| River Lake Portage | Assessment |
| Stark Lake Exploration Site | Assessment |
| Thompson-Lundmark Mine | Assessment |
| Waldron River | Assessment |
| Wrigley Point | Assessment |
| Bullmoose Mine/Ruth Mine area mines (Bullmoose Mine, Ruth Mine Storm Mine, JoonMine, Beaulieu Mine, Spectrum Lake Mine, Chipp Lake Mine) |
Remediation |
| Great Slave Lake area sites (Blanchet Island Mine, Outpost Island Mine,Copper Pass Mine) |
Remediation |
| Tundra Mine | Remediation |
| Axe Point Mine | Complete / Monitoring |
| Discovery Mine | Complete / Monitoring |
| Hidden Lake Mine | Complete / Monitoring |
Assessment Sites
Crestaurum Mine
The Crestaurum Mine is a former gold exploration site and is located on the northwest shore of Daigle Lake, Northwest Territories. The site is approximately 15 km north of Yellowknife. A claim was first staked in 1938 and exploration activities continued until the site burned down in 1957. Some cleanup of the site was done following the fire but it focused on salvaging useable steel and equipment rather than remediation. Drilling programs were conducted in 1965 and 1985 after which the site was abandoned.
Concerns at the site include:
- Metal contaminated soils near waste rock areas and drum storage areas
- Hydrocarbon contaminated soils due to fuel storage on site
- Potentially acid generating waste rock
- Various waste including burned debris, several drums, tin cans and other metal waste are located throughout the site.
Work completed:
- 2006-2007
- Phase I Environmental Site Assessment
- 2012-2013
- Phase II Environmental Site Assessment
What's next?
The results of the Environmental Site Assessment will be reviewed to determine what future work is required.
Dome Lake Mine
Dome Lake Mine, a former gold exploration mine site is located 70 km northeast of Yellowknife at the south end of Dome Lake. The site was first staked in 1938 and mining activity took place at various times up until the mid-1990's.
Concerns at the site include:
- Potentially contaminated waste rock
- Physical hazards such as old structures, fuel tanks and camp debris
- Unsecured mine trenches
Work completed:
- 2010
- Phase I Environmental Site Assessment
- 2012-2013
- Phase II Environmental Site Assessment
What's next?
The results of the Environmental Site Assessment will be reviewed to determine what future work is required.
Gordon Lake area sites
(Burnt Island, Camlaren Mine, Goodrock Mine, Kidney Pond, Murray Lake, Storm Property, Treacy Mine, Try Me, West Bay-Blackridge Mine)
Visit the Gordon Lake area sites webpage to find out more about this remediation project.
Johnston Lake Mine
The Johnston Lake Mine is a former gold exploration and exploitation site, located 70 km north of Yellowknife. Activities at the Johnston Lake site were typical of a small-scale mineral exploration and mining program during two different periods 1940-1941 and then in 1981. The most advanced period of operations was in 1981 when a small decline tunnel was driven on the site. A 1987 geological report was completed on the property with field work consisting of minor trenching and prospecting around old workings. No further activities were reported, and the property was then abandoned.
Concerns at the site include:
- Physical hazards such as old structures, unsealed mine openings, drums and camp debris
Work completed:
- 2012-2013
- Combined Phase I and Phase II Environmental Site Assessment
What's next?
The results of the Environmental Site Assessment will be reviewed to determine what future work is required.
O'Connor Lake Mine
[Photo: O'Connor Mine Shaft and Headframe.jpg] Caption: The headframe still stands at the former O'Connor Mine site The O'Connor Lake Mine is an abandoned mine site located near the east shore of O'Connor Lake and approximately 100 km east of Fort Resolution. The site was first staked in 1948 and mining activity was primarily for copper, lead, zinc and silver. In 1952, mining activity was suspended due to low metal prices. No further mining activity has taken place at the site to date.
Concerns at the site include:
- Potentially contaminated soil and waste rock
- Physical hazards such as old structures, fuel drums, batteries and camp debris
- Unsecured mine shaft and head frame
Work completed:
- 2007
- Phase I Environmental Site Assessment
- 2008
- Phase II Environmental Site Assessment
- 2009
- Phase III Environmental Site Assessment
What's next?
A remedial action plan will be developed in 2013 and will determine what remediation work will be completed at the site. Engagement will take place with the Lutsel K'e Dene, Deninu K'ue, Yellowknives Dene, NWT Métis Nation, North Slave Metis Alliance, and third party interests to review of the action plan and seek input. Site remediation is planned to begin in 2015.
Pine Point Railbed
Visit the former Pine Point Railbed webpage to find out more about this remediation project.
River Lake Portage
The River Lake Portage is located 21 km northeast of Yellowknife and can be accessed by the Ingraham Trail. The site has been used as a trash site in the past. Due to the proximity to the road and a nearby residential area, the site was identified as requiring assessment as it may pose a health and safety risk.
Concerns at the site include:
- Painted wooden boats
- Approximately 40 drums
- Scrap wood
- Propane cylinders
- Scrap painted steel
Work completed:
- 2012-2013
- Combined Phase I and Phase II Environmental Site Assessment
What's next?
The results of the Environmental Site Assessment will be reviewed to determine what future work is required.
Waldron River
The Waldron River property is a former copper exploration site, located on Christie Bay of Great Slave Lake, 200 km east of Yellowknife. Exploration at the site took place on and off between 1939 and 1967. CIRNAC visited the site in 2011 and located a former camp site and one mine shaft.
Concerns at the site include:
- Physical hazards such as old structures and camp debris
- Unsecured mine shaft
Work completed:
- 2012-2013
- Combined Phase I and Phase II Environmental Site Assessment
What's next?
The results of the Environmental Site Assessment will be reviewed to determine what future work is required.
Wrigley Point
The Wrigley Point site is an abandoned commercial fishing camp located approximately 60 km southwest of Yellowknife on the north arm of Great Slave Lake. No records have been found to suggest that the camp operated under a license so the Wrigley camp was likely unauthorized. In 2010, a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment was completed which included researching historical site activities and conducting a site visit.
Concerns at the site include:
- Physical hazards such as old structures, drums and camp debris
- Hydrocarbon contaminated soil
Work completed:
- 2010
- Phase I Environmental Site Assessment
- 2012-2013
- Phase II Environmental Site Assessment
What's next?
The results of the Environmental Site Assessment will be reviewed to determine what future work is required.
Sites in Remediation
Bullmoose Mine/Ruth Mine area mines
(Bullmoose Mine, Ruth Mine Storm Mine, Joon Mine, Beaulieu Mine, Spectrum Lake Mine, Chipp Lake Mine)
Visit the Bullmoose-Ruth Remediation Project webpage to find out more about this remediation project.
Great Slave Lake area sites
(Blanchet Island Mine, Outpost Island Mine, Copper Pass Mine)
These mine sites are located near or within the East Arm of Great Slave Lake. The sites are being assessed together due to their close proximity to one another.
Concerns include:
- Hydrocarbon contamination
- Waste rock and tailings
- Physical hazards such as old structures, unsealed mine openings, drums and camp debris.
Work completed:
- 2008
- Phase II site investigations were carried out at Outpost Island Mine and Blanchet Island Mine.
- 2009
- Phase III site investigations were carried out at Outpost Island Mine and Blanchet Island Mine.
- 2010
- Phase II site investigations were carried out at Copper Pass Mine; supplemental site investigations were carried out at Outpost Island Mine and Blanchet Island Mine; draft Human Health and Ecological Risk Assessments were completed for Outpost and Blanchet Mine.
- 2011
- Human Health and Ecological Risk Assessments and a Draft Remedial Action Plan for Outpost Island Mine and Blanchet Island Mine were completed. Care and maintenance activities took place at Copper Pass Mine and Blanchet Island Mine.
- 2012
- Community input on the remedial options for Outpost and Blanchet mines will be sought in 2013 followed by the finalization of the Remedial Action Plan.
What's next?
In February 2013, the draft Remedial Action Plan will be reviewed by the Akaitcho Government, NWT Metis Nation (Fort Resolution Local), and Yellowknives Dene. This review will be followed by public meetings in March 2013 with stakeholders in Yellowknife, Fort Resolution, and Lutselk'e. These meetings will introduce the new Project Team to the communities and provide an update on the status of the projects. In April 2013, the meetings with the stakeholders will continue with an evaluation of remedial options for the projects. Remediation of all Great Slave Lake area sites is anticipated to commence in 2015.
Tundra Mine
Tundra Mine is a former gold mine located 240 km northeast of Yellowknife. Mine operations began in 1964. This is one of three mines that reverted to the Crown in 1999 when the owner of the mine at the time, Royal Oak Mines Inc., went into receivership. Another company, Giant Yellowknife Mines, also used the site to process ore and to dispose of tailings from nearby Salmita Mine (remediated in the late 1980s).
Concerns include:
- The water in the Tailings Containment Area (TCA) has elevated levels of arsenic and water downstream from the TCA has been affected
- Old buildings
- Hazardous waste
- Hydrocarbon-impacted soils
Work completed:
- 1999
- Care and maintenance of the site included dam repairs, landfill repairs, geotechnical inspections of dams, water management and water quality monitoring
- 2007
- The initial remediation was completed and included the removal of buildings and hazardous waste, construction of a non-hazardous landfill and capping of mine openings
- 2009
- Water treatment was carried out on-site to treat the water in the TCA
- 2010
- The contract for remaining remediation was awarded and water treatment of the TCA continued
- 2011
- Full remediation of the site began in June 2011. This work included water treatment, excavation of hydrocarbon-contaminated soil and the consolidation of tailings solids and buried debris.
- 2012
- Further remediation work will include completing water treatment in the TCA, treating hydrocarbon-contaminated soil, covering tailings and waste rock, and decommissioning dams.
What's next?
Remediation is expected to be complete in 2013/14 and, following site closure, long-term monitoring will begin. A monitoring plan for the site has been developed and includes monitoring fish health and the water quality on-site and downstream of the TCA.
Remediation Completed / Monitoring
Axe Point
Axe Point is located on the Mackenzie River, 60 km west of Fort Providence. The site was in operation for several years as an airstrip, staging area and camp along the winter road to Norman Wells for the American military during World War II.
Axe Point was remediated in 2007 and now that remediation is complete and all contamination was removed, no additional site-specific monitoring is required.
Discovery Mine
Visit the Discovery Mine Remediation Project webpage to find out more about this remediation project.
Hidden Lake Mine
Hidden Lake Mine is a former underground gold mine located 45 km northeast of Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories. The mine opened in 1959 with most of the mining production taking place in 1968. Since closure in 1969, there has been very limited activity at the site.
Historical Concerns included:
- Tailings with metals and hydrocarbon contamination
- Surface fuel contamination around the sites of old buildings and fuelling areas
- Physical hazards such as abandoned mining equipment, unsecured mine openings, scattered metal debris and drums, and buried scrap metal
- Submerged metal drums near the dock area
Work completed:
- 2009
- The Remedial Action Plan was finalized
- 2010
- Remediation was completed and included the removal of tailings and hydrocarbon impacted soils, backfilling of the west shaft, capping of the east shaft, debris collection, and final site grading
- 2011
- Demobilization from site occurred in February 2011 and the long-term monitoring program began
- 2012
- Geotechnical monitoring was completed to ensure stability of the east shaft concrete cap, and backfilling of the west shaft and trench
What's next?
Results from the two first years of geotechnical monitoring indicate the remediated structures are performing as expected and the site appeared to be in good condition. The site will be monitored again in 2014 and once the results are known, it will be determined if any further monitoring is required.