Dane Gibson
Northern News Services

NNSL (May 17/99) - After pumping 600,000 cubic metres of tailings water into an open pit, the pumps at Royal Oak's Colomac Mine have been shut down.

"This is an intended shut-down. The reason for it is the water pickup system was sitting on top of the ice at the tailings pond and the ice is just about to break up," said Dave Nutter, the regional executive advisor for the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development.

"Rather than have an uncontrolled break up and possibly damaging the pumping system, we're shutting things down and taking it off the ice until pumping can resume in a couple of weeks."

In April, the main tailings pond at the mine was two months away from overflowing the dam containing it. To avoid an emergency, Royal Oak constructed a pipeline to pump two million cubic metres of tailings water into an open pit.

Nutter said they're comfortable shutting down the operation, which has been pumping 24 hours a day for more than a month, because they're ahead of schedule.

"Our estimate for the amount of water we wanted to draw down before spring melt was about 500,000 (cubic metres of water). We've drawn down over 600,000 now so we feel quite comfortable that we have a lot of free board there." Dogrib Treaty 11 environmental committee member Charlie Rabesca and three Dogrib elders toured the Colomac site three weeks ago.

Rabesca said they were told the long-term plan is to completely drain the tailings pond.

"When it's drained into the open pit, they're going to let it dry out," Rabesca said.

"What's left behind is a dry chemical from the tailings pond. They say they'll put some fresh soil on it and see if they can put some green grass over it."

He said because the pond was still covered in ice, they want to go back again in July to get a better look at the project.

"They say when it has been drained towards the open pit the contaminated water isn't going anywhere, but who knows? That's the kind of thing we'll have to look at once we get back there again," Rabesca said.

"For us, what we're really concerned about is the fish in the water and the caribou that travel around there. Water from that area flows all the way to Marion River, right through our traditional lands."

Nutter confirmed that the plan for the tailings pond is full reclamation.

"Once there's no longer any more hazardous, toxic or environmental threat, then you draw it right down and dry it out. Then you can plant grass and return the tailings area back to nature," Nutter said.

"We're working with experts both within our department and Environment Canada to answer the question of how soon we can achieve that."

He said the main contaminate they're dealing with is cyanide.

"Our assumption is the cyanide is going to break down more quickly than if there was nothing being done because cyanide is broken down by sunlight," Nutter said.

"If that's the case, then it may be that within the next couple of years we'll be able to totally dry out the tailings pond and start revegetating."

Because Royal Oak is bankrupt, Nutter said the interim receiver is paying the bills.

"If down the road, whether that be six months, a year or two, the property has no private sector owner and there's still work to be done, then the government would have to look at what work has to be done and what money is required to do it," Nutter said.

He said at this point, the government is not planning to pay for the work because they don't have to.

"But at the same time, we're prepared to do whatever needs to be done to ensure, as an example, that the cyanide doesn't leak into the environment. It's not as if we're going to say it's not our problem. We'll take whatever measures necessary to protect the environment," Nutter said.

NWT Water Board Chair Gordon Wray said the Colomac Mine water licence was extended for six months in March. A meeting is scheduled for June to look at the situation again.

"We had to extend their water licence for six months because of the uncertainty surrounding the site," Wray said.

"Our priority in approving the (licence extension) was to ensure the tailings pond was secured. After that, we'll be able to look at the other aspects of the water license."