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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
A new report by the Giant Mine clean-up team recommends capping an historic tailings pond on the property with layers of gravel, coarse rock and sand, so that the toxic tailings it contains never again mix with the water in nearby Baker Creek.

Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada had given the Giant Mine team until Tuesday to submit a plan outlining measures to contain or eliminate the tailings pond - also referred to as Baker Pond, Jo-Jo Lake and Jo Lake - which holds toxic by-products from gold refining, including arsenic.

The issue arose after the creek, which drains into Yellowknife Bay, flowed into and out of the tailings pond during spring breakup.

"Basically, we just don't want the creek overflowing in the spring - we want to prevent it, prevent the mobilization of tailings into Baker Creek," said Scott Stewart, an inspector with AANDC's enforcement directorate. "The plan is to take mitigative measures in Lake Jo-Jo to prevent the migration of tailings."

The recommendation to cap the tailings pond does not mean that is what will happen, however. The other option presented in the new, 160-page Giant Mine report is to dredge the pond and remove the tailings altogether.

"They've proposed both those options, and we have to make a decision," Stewart said.

The inspector said that is what he expected from the report. He said his team will now review it, as will officials from Environment Canada and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. Stewart said they'll get together to make a decision by the middle of August, and get to work on either capping or dredging the tailings pond soon after.

"According to the plan, and if everything is approved, work should be started by September," Stewart said. "Everything I've seen points to this being resolved by the deadline of April 30 (2012)."

The Giant Mine report goes into far more detail on the two options available. Capping the tailings pond would involve placing about a half-metre of gravel and coarse rock across the tailings.

The gravel would then be covered with up to a half-metre thick layer of fine sand including organic material to allow development of a vegetative cover next year. The cap would be underlain by a high-strength geotextile, or permeable fabric, to minimize disturbance of the tailings.

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