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A heavy equipment operator moves zinc concentrate inside a storage building at the Nanisivik mine.

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(PHOTO COURTESY OF BREAKWATER RESOURCES)

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GN, NTI and DIAND concerned about mine clean-up plan

Reports released this week say Breakwater Resources has not paid enough attention to environmental clean-up

DENISE RIDEOUT

Breakwater Resources’ clean-up plan for the Nanisivik mine got a failing grade this week from the three organizations monitoring the project.

The Government of Nunavut, Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. and the federal government are concerned that Breakwater’s plan, released in May, does not go into enough detail about cleaning up tailings, contaminated soil and hazardous waste.

The mine, located 25 kilometres east of Arctic Bay, is scheduled to close after 26 years of operation because its ore reserves have run out. After mining stops on Sept. 30, the company will spend two years cleaning up the site.

The company’s clean-up plan explains the steps it is prepared to take to remove hazardous waste from the mine site, ensure the surrounding environment isn’t contaminated and make sure the land can be used again by local residents.

Its plans include burning the mine bunkhouse, dismantling the dome and ice rink and either burning them or burying them underground, and tearing down the small church.

However, the GN, NTI and the federal Department of Indian and Northern Affairs say the company’s plans for disposing of contaminated materials is weak on details.

As part of the mine closure, parties that have a stake in the future of Nanisivik submitted reports to the Nunavut Water Board that outline their concerns and questions about mine site clean up.

Questions and concerns abound in the Nunavut government’s report.

Government officials worry that Breakwater’s plan to bury contaminated tailings isn’t sufficient, that drums of waste oil will be left at the dump and that the company hasn’t identified where hazardous materials are located and how much of them there are at the site.

Breakwater Resources has indicated it will cover tailings underneath layers of sand, gravel and shale and that the permafrost will contain the contaminants.

But the GN says that won’t be thick enough to prevent seepage.

The GN also takes issue with the mining company’s plans for the hazardous materials that have piled up at the dump since the 1970s. An estimated 2,000 drums of waste oil and other materials are buried there.

The problem, the GN says, is it’s difficult to know if Breakwater’s plan to bury the dump will be successful. That’s because the company hasn’t indicated what kinds of contaminants the dump contains — and how much waste there is.

"For the GN, a most compelling concern involves the material in the landfill, as it could be at least as important as the tailings or even of greater concern given the uncertainty of its contents," the GN report says.

Even after the dump has been covered over, the GN wants the company to continue to monitor the site to watch out for any seepage of contaminants.

Because the Nunavut government isn’t satisfied with Breakwater’s overall plan, it says it can’t make any decisions about whether to support or reject the company’s request for a water licence for its clean up.

Acid-generating rocks

NTI and DIAND are also wary of Breakwater’s clean-up project.

NTI raises questions about the disposal of waste rocks. Its report says there is evidence some of the rocks have acid-generating potential, but that Breakwater isn’t clear about how it plans to get rid of them.

DIAND says more work is required to ensure the mine’s owners will return the site to an environmentally stable state.

The department worries that covering the tailings with layers of shale isn’t enough. It would like to see thicker layers that will guarantee the contaminants are contained.

It also expresses some concern about Breakwater’s plan to bury old equipment, waste rock and contaminated materials in the deep belly of the mine.

It says the company hasn’t indicated exactly how much material there is to be buried and if there’s even sufficient space for it.

In its own report, CanZinco Ltd., a division of Breakwater Resources, tries to clear the air.

Through a series of technical reports, CanZinco outlines how it will dispose of hazardous materials, such as tailings, contaminated soil and PCBs.

The one bright spot in the reports released this week is news that Breakwater Resources should have more than enough money to cover the closure and clean up of Nanisivik.

DIAND conducted a cost analysis and determined that it will cost the company $27.5 million to carry out its plan. If Breakwater sells off some of Nanisivik’s buildings, infrastructure and equipment as it hopes to do, that will reduce the overall cost.

After looking at the company’s financial record, the federal government determined that Breakwater has accrued $11.4 million for reclamation, and has a $6-million security bond in place. The company also had assets of about $95 million as of December 2001.

"It appears the company is financially viable. There does not appear to be a reason that the company cannot provide financial security for the full reclamation liability," DIAND says in its report.

All groups will get a chance to present their concerns to the public during hearings scheduled for July 22 in Nanisivik.

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