Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) has selected global professional services firm Turner & Townsend to provide independent oversight on the cost and schedule for a new water treatment plant at the Faro Mine Remediation Project in Yukon.
The Faro Mine, once the world’s largest open-pit lead-zinc operation, closed in 1998 after leaving behind extensive environmental damage. The federal government is advancing long-term remediation efforts to stabilize and restore the site, which sits on 25 square kilometres near the town of Faro, within the asserted traditional territory of the Ross River Dena Council, Liard First Nation and Kaska communities, and upstream from the Selkirk First Nation.
Majority-owned by CBRE Group Inc., Turner & Townsend’s energy and natural resources team will deliver third-party cost and schedule analysis to ensure effective financial control during construction of the new water treatment plant. The facility is intended to protect human and environmental health by treating contaminated water generated from the mine’s legacy waste.
Processing activities at the former mine left behind 70 million tonnes of tailings and 320 million tonnes of waste rock. These materials continue to leach acid and metals into land and waterways, contributing to ongoing contamination. The mine’s two key sites — Faro and Vangorda — remain in care and maintenance until regulatory approvals and detailed remediation plans are in place.
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Along with environmental protection, the massive project aims to create local employment opportunities throughout construction and remediation.
“We look forward to supporting the Faro Mine Remediation Project with this large mine remediation, bringing our global experience to bear to help ensure this project is a success,” said Director and North American Mining Lead at Turner & Townsend, David Isherwood. “Mining of materials like zinc is an essential part of the global economy, but it’s also crucial that this is done in a sustainable way, and the long-term remediation of sites is at the heart of this,” he added.
