Yukon environmental group decries cost of cleaning up mines

The Yukon Conservation Society (YCS) says the latest territorial budget includes an expensive reminder that mining generates hefty costs for the territory, as well as profits.

The Yukon government is directing $36.2 million in federal funding toward the assessment and care of abandoned mine sites in the territory this fiscal year.

Yukon's territorial budget also allocates $3.5 million for cleanup of contaminated sites, though those sites are not necessarily connected with mining. 

• Yukon government delivers surplus budget as election looms
• Mixed reaction to 2016/17 Yukon budget

"We're spending money to encourage mining, and we're also spending money to clean up mines," said Lewis Rifkind of YCS. "That seems a bit at odds with each other."

The budget includes $1.4 million "to promote and enhance mineral prospecting and exploration in Yukon," as well as funding for the Geological Survey, the Yukon Mining Alliance (an industry group), the Yukon Chamber of Mines and a mineral development strategy.

Those investments are all dwarfed, however, by the price tag on dealing with abandoned mines. It's a cost that hasn't just appeared this year — last year, the territory spent $50.7 million in federal tax dollars on the problem.

"The current mining regime is probably going to create more messes that future generations will pay to clean up, in addition to all the clean-ups we're already doing now. So we're very concerned about that," Rifkind said.

The Yukon Chamber of Mines sees things in a different light.

"Our industry is progressive, and innovative, and working with organizations such as Yukon College, the Yukon Research Centre, the Centre for Northern Innovation in Mining, to come up with new, innovative practices," said Samson Hartland, the Chamber's executive director.

"Mining as an industry has been a cornerstone industry for the territory for 100 years. There's a lot of things that have improved and changed over 100 years."