Latest news with #placerMining
CBC
3 days ago
- Business
- CBC
Yukon gov't temporarily extends some placer mining licences while working through permit backlog
The Yukon government is issuing temporary licence extensions to placer miners in the queue for licence renewals as staff work through the backlog of permit approvals and licence renewal applications. On Thursday, the territory made "temporary" amendments to the Placer Mining Land Use Regulation and the Quartz Mining Land Use Regulation to approve extensions to eligible operators — and temporary additions to the Waters Regulation to authorize eligible operators to use water consistent with the terms of their existing licence while seeking a licence renewal. "We feel this will help alleviate the pressure on the overall system," said John Streicker, Yukon's minister of energy, mines and resources. The decision comes after placer miners and advocates went public about delays that were costing them their ability to work. Some had been in limbo for over a year waiting for their approvals. Streicker said extensions will be given to operators whose licences are close to expiring, including 19 operators whose licences recently expired while in queue for renewal. Extensions will also be given to "previously approved projects that have been through the First Nations consultation process and are within the temporal, spatial and activity scope of the decision documents already in place." "The way we're looking at this is because those mines have already been operating, already did consultation and engagement on them, we can allow them to continue in a temporary way while we work through the backlog," Streicker told CBC News. Streicker said this doesn't change the licence renewal or permitting approval process, but it's a temporary way to keep people working while still following regulations. He added that his department has already begun contacting placer miners to notify them of the extension. Will Fellers is the president of the Klondike Placer Miners Association. He said he was very glad to hear about new changes, but he wants to speak with the Minister before he gets too excited about anything just yet. "We know the government's been working on this behind the scenes and I'm glad to see something finally has came out of it," Fellers told CBC News. "I haven't been briefed on it yet. This is just new, so it will be interesting to hear from John [Streicker] exactly what the specifics are of this but if its the case it's a great step in getting the operators back being able to go out on the land and back to work again. "That makes me happy to hear."
CBC
3 days ago
- Business
- CBC
Yukon gov't temporarily extends some placer mining licenses while working through permit backlog
The Yukon Government is issuing temporary license extensions to placer miners in the queue for license renewals as staff work through the backlog of permit approvals and license renewal applications. On Thursday, the territory made "temporary" amendments to the Placer Mining Land Use Regulation and the Quartz Mining Land Use Regulation to approve extensions to eligible operators — and temporary additions to the Waters Regulation to authorize eligible operators to use water consistent with the terms of their existing licence while seeking a licence renewal. "We feel this will help alleviate the pressure on the overall system," said John Streicker, Yukon's minister of energy, mines, and resources. Streicker said extensions will be given to operators who's licenses are close to expiring, including the 19 operators whose licenses recently expired while in queue for renewal. Extensions will also be given to "previously-approved projects that have been through the First Nations consultation process and are within the temporal, spatial and activity scope of the decision documents already in place." "The way we're looking at this is because those mines have already been operating," Streicker told CBC News. "Already did consultation and engagement on them, we can allow them to continue in a temporary way while we work through the backlog." Streicker said this doesn't change the license renewal or permitting approval process, but it's a temporary way to keep people working while still following regulations. He added that his department has already begun contacting placer miners to notify them of the extension. Will Fellers is the president of the Klondike Placer Miners Association. He said he was very glad to hear about new changes, but he wants to speak with the Minister before he gets too excited about anything just yet. "We know the government's been working on this behind the scenes and I'm glad to see something finally has came out of it," Fellers told CBC News. "I haven't been briefed on it yet. This is just new, so it will be interesting to hear from John [Streicker] exactly what the specifics are of this but if its the case it's a great step in getting the operators back being able to go out on the land and back to work again.
CBC
4 days ago
- Business
- CBC
Dawson City business community fears impact of continued placer mining licence delays
The Dawson City, Yukon's Chamber of Commerce (DCCC) and the Klondike Visitor's Association (KVA) are the latest organizations to show their support for the Klondike Placer Miner's Association (KPMA) over mounting concerns with delays in the Yukon Government's licence renewal process. Last week the KPMA said 19 placer mine operators had their licences expire while in queue for renewal and another 59 licences are set to lapse by the end of this year. Placer mining is an operation that uses water and gravity to separate gold from dirt and gravel without the use of chemicals. Placer mining operations in the Klondike are primarily family-run and both the chamber of commerce and visitor's association say placer miners are key to the Dawson economy and have been since the days of the Gold Rush. "We have a lot of industries that rely upon the placer miners so this isn't just going to affect the mining community but rather all of these other industries as well," said Justine Hobbs, interim executive director for the DCCC. Hobbs pointed to local mechanic shops that service mining equipment, restaurants where miners eat and grocery stores where mining camps source food. Hobbs said her organization supports the KPMA in asking the territorial government to provide temporary extensions to current licence holders waiting for their renewal. "We want to prevent that economic disruption," Hobbs said. " And we also want to make sure the environmental assessments are done thoroughly and they're well conducted so a temporary extension would allow for that." Ricky Mawunganidze is the executive director for the Klondike Visitor's Association. He said placer mining brings in over half of the commercial revenue the town sees annually, adding that if placer miners aren't able to work they aren't re-investing back into the community. He calls it a lose-lose situation. Mawunganidze is also urging the Yukon Government to temporarily extend the licences, as well as keep the KVA and other interested organizations informed. "When we have situations like this that have the potential to have dire implications not only for a single sector but, you know, a sector that contributes over fifty per cent to the Dawson economy, I think there is value in transparency," Mawunganidze said. "Without that, the assumption is that not enough is being done to resolve this issue."
CBC
5 days ago
- Business
- CBC
Dawson City business community fear impact of continued placer mining license delays
The Dawson City, Yukon's Chamber of Commerce (DCCC) and the Klondike Visitor's Association (KVA) are the latest organizations to show their support for the Klondike Placer Miner's Association (KPMA) over mounting concerns with delays in the Yukon Government's license renewal process. Last week the KPMA said 19 placer mine operators had their licenses expire while in queue for renewal and another 59 licenses are set to lapse by the end of this year. Placer mining is an operation that uses water and gravity to separate gold from dirt and gravel without the use of chemicals. Placer mining operations in the Klondike are primarily family-run and both the chamber of commerce and visitor's association say placer miners are key to the Dawson economy and have been since the days of the Gold Rush. "We have a lot of industries that rely upon the placer miners so this isn't just going to affect the mining community but rather all of these other industries as well," said Justine Hobbs, interim executive director for the DCCC. Hobbs pointed to local mechanic shops that service mining equipment, restaurants where miners eat and grocery stores where mining camps source food. Hobbs said her organization supports the KPMA in asking the territorial government to provide temporary extensions to current license holders waiting for their renewal. "We want to prevent that economic disruption," Hobbs said. " And we also want to make sure the environmental assessments are done thoroughly and they're well conducted so a temporary extension would allow for that." Ricky Mawunganidze is the executive director for the Klondike Visitor's Association. He said placer mining brings in over half of the commercial revenue the town sees annually, adding that if placer miners aren't able to work they aren't re-investing back into the community. He calls it a lose-lose situation. Mawunganidze is also urging the Yukon Government to temporarily extend the licenses, as well as keep the KVA and other interested organizations informed. "When we have situations like this that have the potential to have dire implications not only for a single sector but, you know, a sector that contributes over fifty per cent to the Dawson economy, I think there is value in transparency," Mawunganidze said. "Without that, the assumption is that not enough is being done to resolve this issue."
