Swimming pools proposed to store Yukon mine's tailings

A proposal by a gold mining company to use swimming pools as tailings ponds is raising some concern with the Yukon Government and the Yukon Conservation Society.

In an application for a water licence, Aurchem Exploration, which owns the claims at the old Mount Nansen site near Carmacks, proposes to use three to five aboveground swimming pools to store tailings from its milling operation.

Yukon Conservation Society mining co-ordinator Lewis Rifkind said he immediately thought of pools in the Canadian Tire flyer.

"You get it out of the newspaper every Friday, you sift through it. You know I very rarely buy anything, I just like looking at it, and that's what came to mind. These things do exist. I'm sure people are familiar with them; check out the Canadian Tire catalogue," he said. 

Rifkind said swimming pools might work, but they're not tested for such uses. He said until Aurchem can show there are actual tests, the water board should not approve the idea.

Environment Yukon has filed similar concerns in its intervention.