Yukon Chamber of Mines Shocked at ATAC Road Decision
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 30, 2020
Whitehorse, Yukon - The Yukon Chamber of Mines (YCM) is shocked that the Yukon Government would ignore a recommendation from the Yukon Environmental and Socio- Economic Assessment Board for the ATAC road to proceed with mitigations.
“The message the Yukon Government is sending with overturning a YESAB recommendation, is that the Yukon is closed for business” said Yukon Chamber of Mines President, Ed Peart. “After 10 years of working through a process borne out of the Umbrella Final Agreement (YESAB), with engagement from all orders of government, including the affected First Nation government and many other affected stakeholders, YESAB recommended the project proceed with a list of mitigations. Yukon Government decided to throw out years of this work and many hundreds of millions in investment to date and into the future, out of political favour and expediency.”
The ATAC road was recommended to be approved by YESAB with a list of mitigations. After many delays in the permit review process which followed, a newly designed sub- regional land use planning process was implemented at government’s request. That work has yet to be completed.
The Chamber continues to remain concerned with Yukon Government’s approach to revamping the Yukon’s mining legislation, land use planning, security & bonding, land- use tenure system, all of which are impacting the membership negatively.
For more information please contact:
Samson Hartland Executive Director
Yukon Chamber of Mines
867.332.2332