Darren Stewart
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Jan 24/03) - An aquatic life-form that gobbles toxic chemicals may be the key to cleaning the polluted water around Colomac Mine.

Contaminated tailing ponds at the abandoned gold mine site, 200 kilometres north of Yellowknife, could be at capacity by 2006. The Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development has less than five years to clean the ponds or face a potential environmental debacle.

But Scott Mitchell, head of DIAND'S regional contaminated sites division, said a new method tested last summer was a success, and the department will use it again next summer.

The process involves feeding fertilizer to naturally occurring algae. The algae metabolizes pollutants such as ammonia and cyanide and breaks them into more benign elements.

The algae also reduces the concentration of polluting metals, such as arsenic, in the water.

"It seems to work and it's a totally natural process," said Mitchell. "This could be a win-win situation."

Senior DIAND scientist Octavio Melo said he's optimistic the algae could be a key to cleaning up the ponds but wouldn't be as effective on the Zone Two pit, which is also polluted.

"It's much deeper than the ponds, but then it's not going to overflow so it's not as urgent."

Colomac has long been one of the most-polluted sites in the North.

In October Johanne Gelinas, commissioner of the environment and sustainable development for the federal government, called the situation at Colomac an urgent situation in her presentation to parliament.

She said there were three tailing ponds nearing capacity risking a "major environmental incident."

"That's a little misleading," said DIAND's Mitchell.

"We have at least five years. I'm sure there are people out there who would consider a 100-year deadline urgent."

Mitchell said even in the worst-case scenario the tailing ponds won't reach capacity until 2006, which gives the department ample time to find a solution.

He said his department will present a report on the success of the new method to the NWT Water Board at its next meeting.