Case Study- Faro Mine in the Yukon

Case Study- Faro Mine in the Yukon

Site name
Faro Mine
Site location 415C-300 Main Street,
Whitehorse, Yukon
Y1A 2B5
1-800-661-0451
Type(s) of mining-
related process(es)
(e.g., refining, mining,
processing, etc.)
Processing
Desired mineral
resource(s) lead-zinc
Contaminant(s)
of concern
Tailings and Waste rock plies
Brief
description/summary
of environmental,
health, and/or
safety threats
Valuable mineral processing at the mines left million tons of
waste rock and tailings. Mines waste affects the land and
water quality. Increase the amount of Contaminated
seepage increase the level of the zinc which is draining
from the rock. These rock dumps damage the quality of
water, which impact on habitant and the fish ("Faro Mine |
Yukon Conservation Society", 2017). Tailings are a residue
that remains the same after the metal extracted from the
rock. In the tailing dams and the Rose Creek, Diversion

Channel currently has no hydraulic capacity so that
maximum tailing flood can pass through it. That could lead
to dam failure and affect the environment.
Brief summary of
actions taken to access
and/or clean up so far
Selected Key features for the site remediation include
("Massive Faro mine clean-up will begin in 2022, two
decades after closure | CBC News", 2017):-
 Fix tailing at a place upgrade the dams
 Re-sloping of the Waste rock piles
 Installation of soil covers for the waste rock and the
tailings.
 Diversions for the up-gradation of Stream.
 Upgrade the treatment system and the contaminated
water collection