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2005 Robert E. Leckie Award Recipients
PLACER MINING RECLAMATION WINNER
Dr. Jim Christie and his family operated on Dominion Creek from 1996 until 2004, mining a large portion of the wide valley bottom, a short distance upstream from the confluence with Sulphur Creek. Old mine cuts have been sloped to shallow grades, creating natural looking ponds with vegetation growing right up to the edge. These ponds are already providing seasonal waterfowl habitat. Tailing piles and other waste piles were contoured to a gentle slope and stockpiled overburden was spread throughout the area, which has resulted in rapid natural re-vegetation over wide areas. In addition, a considerable amount of work was done to create a system of stable ditches which provide ongoing control of surface drainage and prevent erosion of reclaimed areas. Photo: Klondike Placer Miners’ Association President Mike McDougall (l) and Energy, Mines and Resources Minister Archie Lang (r) present Tara, Dagmar and Jim Christie with the Robert E. Leckie award for outstanding placer reclamation practices. Operator Ross Edenost of A-1 Cats has mined on Dominion Creek in the Dawson district since 2002. Since the start of operations, A-1 Cats has done ongoing reclamation. Stripping and tailings piles are kept in low relief. Organic overburden is stockpiled for spreading on contoured areas to facilitate rapid re-vegetation. The camp was set up near mine cuts from a previous leasee of the property. At the start of operations A-1 Cats utilized some of these historic cuts in their operations for settling ponds. The subsequent contouring and topsoil spreading is leaving an area of ponds with gentle slopes that are more accessible to wild life. Photo: Ponds and re-vegetation at the Gimlex operation on Dominion Creek. QUARTZ MINING RECLAMATION WINNER
Rusty Springs was first discovered in 1975 and was explored by several companies through to 1986. A winter road and all weather airstrip were constructed during this period. In 1994 the property was transferred to Eagle Plains Resources. They conducted several exploration programs including diamond drilling and trenching. Each of their programs has included a major component of environmental clean-up and reclamation. The company, through good management practices, has steadily cleaned up the legacy of the 1975 through 1986 exploration. In 2005 contractor Aurora Geosciences removed old fuel drums and up to 2000 pounds of steel rods and various metal pieces, an old jeep, many plastic buckets and other debris from around drill sites. The crew cleaned up the old camp and burned the wood, tidied up the road and strip. They then cleaned up their drill sites and camp site. Every backhaul flight removed waste. Photo: Yukon Chamber of Mines’ Past President Scott Casselman(l) and Energy, Mines and Resources Minister Archie Lang (r) present Tim Termuende, President of Eagle Plains Resources, with the award for best quartz reclamation practices.
Honourable Mention Strategic Metals Ltd. Strategic Metals Ltd. is a Vancouver-based company doing grassroots exploration at Logtung, near Rancheria. The site has seen activity since the 1970s and the company has been cleaning it up for several years. In 2004 they removed three hundred, forty-five gallon drums, part of a bulk sample left on site. The drums, drum lids and metal bandings were crushed and removed to the Whitehorse landfill or recycled. The plastic liners were removed from site and the pallets burned.
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Photo: Since acquiring the property in 1992, Eagle Plains collected over 300 rusted fuel drums and many tons of metal debris and removed it from the site by aircraft.
Last Updated 08-02-2006