Long-term funding plan for Giant Mine draws criticism | CBC News
There are 237,000 tonnes of arsenic trioxide dust stored in caverns beneath the old abandoned gold mine on the outskirts of Yellowknife. The $1 billion taxpayer-funded cleanup calls for the caverns to be frozen to prevent water from penetrating and carrying the highly toxic and highly soluble dust into the environment.
Under the plan, the mine will require annual care and maintenance, at an estimated cost of $6 million, continuing forever. As a condition of the environmental approval of the cleanup, a detailed plan for securing that funding was to be completed two years ago. Three months ago, the team of federal bureaucrats in charge of the cleanup produced a draft plan, which has yet to be released to the public.