BQE Water resumes water treatment at Minto mine in Yukon
BQE Water has been contracted by the Yukon Department of Energy, Mines and Resources to provide expertise and support with water management at the abandoned Minto copper-gold mine in central Yukon.
The copper-gold-silver mine was most recently operated by now delisted Minto Metals until May of this year. The subsidiary of U.K.-based Pembridge Resources bought the project from Capstone Mining in 2019.
Under the contract, BQE will provide two types of services: operations services and technical advisory and engineering services.
The mine is located on settlement land of the Selkirk First Nation.
The operations services will focus on the seasonal operation of the existing water treatment plant at Minto and managing the environmental discharge in accordance with the current water use license. The technical advisory and engineering services will entail assisting the government with assessing water management changes, including to the existing treatment system, to support site closure and remediation for the long-term.
“We understand how important safe, transparent and cost-effective clean water production at Minto mine is for the Yukon and for all project stakeholders,” BQE president and CEO David Kratochvil said in a release.
The company designed the water treatment plant at Minto and operated it until 2013 when treated water discharge from the site ceased and mine water was directed into an exhausted open pit.
In August 2022, BQE became involved in the operation of the same water treatment plant once again. Following the stoppage of mine production in May 2023, the company worked with the Yukon government, Selkirk First Nation, and JDS Mining in support of environmental protection and to ensure treated water is discharged in accordance with provincial regulations.
