Wesdome fined C$350 000 for Ontario tailings spill
TORONTO (miningweekly.com) – Wesdome Gold Mines has been fined a total of C$350 000 for tailings spillages at its Eagle River mill, located 50 km west of Wawa, Ontario.
Environment and Climate Change Canada on Friday released a statement reporting that Wesdomes Eagle River mill experienced episodes of high water levels, which led to uncontrolled tailings flows into the fish-bearing Miron Creek.
Some effluent overflows were found to contain levels of cyanide considered harmful to fish.
According to the Ministry, the company failed to correctly manage the tailings water levels and key treatment processes within its facilities. It was also fingered for not immediately reporting the uncontrolled flooding to local authorities.
Wesdome was fined C$175 000 in the Ontario Court of Justice after pleading guilty to contraventions of the Fisheries Act. Of the total fine, C$131 250 will be directed to the Environmental Damages Fund, with the remaining C$43 750 to be directed to the court.
The company was also ordered to pay another C$175 000 related to provincial offences, following charges laid by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change.
As a result of this conviction, Wesdome was added to the Environmental Offenders Registry.
Earlier this month, the miner announced a 13% increase in the Eagle River mine’s mineral reserves to 300 000 oz of gold. During its 20 years of operation, the mine had produced about 1.05-million ounces of yellow metal to date.
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