Energy, Mines, and Resources
Minerals
Mining in Yukon
Major Mine Licensing – Bellekeno
The Bellekeno property is located 354 km north of Whitehorse and 50 km northeast of the Town of Mayo and 3 km east of Keno.
Elsa Reclamation and Development Company Ltd., a unit of Alexco Resource Corporation, owns the former assets of United Keno Hill Mines (UKHM) and is responsible, under a funding agreement with the governments of Canada and Yukon, for the care and maintenance of the properties and the eventual reclamation and closure of the overall UKHM sites. Alexco Keno Hill Mining Corporation (AKHMC), a separate subsidiary of Alexco Resource Corporation, has been incorporated for the purpose of mineral extraction, and has made a production decision to mine the former Bellekeno property.
This project has been subject to an environmental and socio-economic assessment by the Yukon Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment Board’s Mayo Designated Office. An evaluation report was issued in June 2009 which recommended that the Bellekeno project be allowed to proceed, subject to specified mitigative terms and conditions. In July 2009, Yukon government issued a Decision Document which accepted this recommendation, allowing the project to move forward to permitting.
On November 17, 2009 the Government of Yukon issued a Quartz Mining License for the Alexco Keno Hill Mining Corporation’s Bellekeno Mine Project. The License includes mitigation measures outlined in the Yukon Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment Act (YESAA) decision document issued by Government of Yukon.
The company began production at the Bellekeno Mine on January 1, 2011. The mine is currently operating a 250 tonnes per day operation and is planning to increase to a 400 tonnes per day operation for 3 to 5 years.
The Type "A" Water Use Licence for this project is available online.
Licenses, Authorizations or Approvals
Approval of Waste Management Plan Revision 1 
718 KB - QML-0009 Amendment 1.17MB
- Approval of Reclamation and Closure Plan and Determination of Financial Security 1 MB
- Approval of Addendum to Dry Stack Tailings Facility Construction and Operation Plan 1.24 MB
- Approval of Dry Stack Tailings Facility Construction and Operation Plan 1.33 MB
- Approval of Mine Development and Operations Plan Waste Rock Storage Facility 947 KB
- Approval of Amendment to General Site Plan DSTF Preliminary Work 678 KB
- Approval of Mine Development and Operations Plan 928 KB
- Approval of Amendment to Mill Development and Operations Plan 681 KB
- Approval of Lightning Creek Bypass Road Construction and Operation Plan 828 KB
- Approval of Amendment to GSP - Preparatory Work on Lightning Creek Bypass Road 715 KB
- Environmental Protection Plans Approval, Feb. 8, 2010 156 KB
- Mill Development and Operations Plan Approval, Feb. 8, 2010 768 KB
- Approval of Amendment to GSP - Borrow Sources 732 KB
- QML-0009 6.2 MB
- Plan Requirements letter for QML-0009 172 KB
Reports and Plans
- Reclamation and Closure Plan Bellekeno Mine November 2011 13MB CURRENTLY UNDER REVIEW
- 2011 Annual Physical Inspection 6.8 MB
- Waste Management Plan Revision 1 2.71 MB
- Monitoring and Surveillance Plan Revision 1 12.5 MB CURRENTLY UNDER REVIEW
- Detailed Design Dry-Stacked Tailings Facility Keno Hill District Mill Site, Yukon-Issued for Use 10.5 MB
- 2010 Annual Report - Resubmission
- Reclamation and Closure Plan January 2011 7.26MB
- Tailings Characterization Plan December 2010 62 KB
- Mine Development and Operations Plan Waste Rock Storage Facility 4.73 MB
- Dry Stack Tailings Facility Operation Maintenance and Surveillance Manual 3 MB
- Dry Stack Tailings Facility Dust Modeling 703 KB
- Dry Stack Tailings Facility Construction and Operation Plan 14.5 MB
- Lightning Creek Bypass Road Construction and Operation Plan 4 MB
- Mine Development and Operations Plan 4 MB
- Mill Development and Operations Plan 14 MB
- Noise Abatement Plan 698 KB
- Traffic Management Plan 2 MB
- Emergency Response Plan 704 KB
- Hazardous Materials Management Plan 4.08 MB
- Heritage Resource Protection Plan 67 KB
- Monitoring and Surveillance Plan 11.5 MB
- Spill Contingency Plan 100 KB
- Waste Management Plan 1 MB
- Wildlife Protection Plan 70 KB
- Construction Site Plan, Revision 1 November 2009 6.7 MB
Security
Security held for this project pursuant to Quartz Mining License QML-0009.
