Contaminated water that overflowed in a landslide and equipment failure at a Yukon gold mine is being pumped into storage ponds, while the investigation continues into what went wrong, the territory91裸聊视频檚 Department of Energy, Mines and Resources said.

Minister John Streicker said in a statement Wednesday that current information suggested the failure at the heap-leach facility at the Victoria Gold Eagle Mine on Monday had not affected drinking water for the Village of Mayo, about 80 kilometres south of the mine.

The slide pushed contaminated water outside its containment area and over an embankment, the department said.

Heap leaching uses chemicals to percolate through crushed ore, allowing it to extract gold, and the company91裸聊视频檚 website says the Eagle Mine uses a cyanide solution in the process.

Streicker said 91裸聊视频渙ut of an abundance of caution91裸聊视频� drinking water will be monitored for contaminants 91裸聊视频渦ntil more is understood about the details of the event.91裸聊视频�

He said natural resource officers are assessing the site91裸聊视频檚 compliance with the terms and conditions of the mine91裸聊视频檚 licences.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 too early to speak to the cause of the heap leach failure. What91裸聊视频檚 clear at this point is that the failure involved a slide of the ore stacked in the heap leach facility,91裸聊视频� he said.

91裸聊视频淭he slide caused ore to spill over the embankment at the base of the heap facility. The slide appears to have damaged some mine infrastructure.91裸聊视频�

A statement from the department said the company quickly built dams to hold back contaminated water, which is now being pumped into ponds.

Streicker said his ministry continues to operate long-term water quality monitoring stations upstream and downstream of the mine.

Neither the territorial government nor the company have said how much contaminated water spilled.

The First Nation of Nacho Nyak Dun, whose traditional territory includes the mine site about 500 kilometres north of Whitehorse, has said it91裸聊视频檚 concerned about 91裸聊视频減otentially significant and far-reaching environmental impacts91裸聊视频� on water, fish and wildlife.

Streicker said the government has been communicating directly with the First Nation, the village and Victoria Gold.

91裸聊视频淲e recognize that many Yukoners are concerned about the potential environmental impacts of this failure. We are committed to working closely with the First Nation of Nacho Nyak Dun as we determine next steps,91裸聊视频� he said.

91裸聊视频淎s a mining regulator, we remain committed to ensuring that the environment is protected, and that will guide our future actions at the site.91裸聊视频�

Work at the mine has been halted since the failure on Monday. The company has said that no one was injured.

The mine employs approximately 500 people as well as numerous contractors and consultants, according to the Victoria Gold website.

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