Western Copper & Gold’s Yukon mine plan details major effects on caribou, emissions, health and Indigenous lands, now under YESAB review.
Developer Releases Detailed Impact Report
Western Copper and Gold Corporation has released its long-awaited environmental and socio-economic effects statement for the proposed Casino Mine project in Yukon. The thousands-page report, submitted earlier this month, outlines both benefits and risks — from job creation and infrastructure spending to potential harm to wildlife, water quality and community health.
The Yukon Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment Board (YESAB) is reviewing the submission under its highest level of scrutiny — a panel review — which allows for public participation and formal hearings before any approvals are granted.
Large-Scale Project with High Economic Stakes
Planned west of Pelly Crossing, the Casino project would feature an open-pit copper-gold mine, a heap-leach facility, a 236-metre-high tailings dam and a 198-kilometre access road. The operation is projected to run for 27 years, generating an estimated $429 million annually for Yukon’s GDP and supporting thousands of direct and indirect jobs.
The project spans the traditional territories of the Selkirk First Nation and the asserted lands of the White River First Nation, with parts of the road crossing Little Salmon Carmacks First Nation lands and downstream effects likely reaching Trʼondëk Hwëchʼin and Kluane First Nation territories.
Habitat Fragmentation Raises Caribou Fears
Conservation analysts have flagged serious concerns for the Klaza caribou herd, which ranges directly through the proposed mine corridor. The herd, numbering around 900 northern mountain caribou, relies on this habitat for migration and calving.
Sebastian Jones of the Yukon Conservation Society said the access road would bisect key habitat long identified for protection. “The single biggest victim of this project is likely to be the Klaza caribou herd,” he noted, warning that road barriers could prevent the herd from reaching critical feeding areas and limit First Nations’ traditional harvesting.
The company’s report concludes habitat loss will not significantly alter the herd’s range, but critics argue the assessment relies on “baseline” data from 2022 — when the region was already disturbed by prior exploration and industrial activity.
Environmental and Safety Risks Under Scrutiny
The report identifies greenhouse-gas emissions and tailings-storage safety as additional challenges. The mine’s planned LNG-powered facility could, according to critics, produce carbon emissions equivalent to the entire Yukon’s current annual output — effectively doubling the territory’s footprint until a future connection to the British Columbia grid enables hydropower.
Analysts also highlight potential consequences if the proposed tailings dam were to fail. At 236 metres high, such a structure would release enormous volumes of water and waste. While the effects statement estimates cleanup costs exceeding $100 million, observers point to past mining accidents, such as the 2024 Eagle Mine disaster, as reminders of the risks.
Promised Benefits and Community Implications
Western Copper and Gold emphasizes the project’s economic upside — long-term employment, infrastructure development and training opportunities for Yukoners and First Nations citizens. The company says mitigation measures will minimize environmental harm, protect water quality and maintain caribou migration paths through adaptive road design and habitat offsets.
Yet local leaders stress that economic rewards must not outweigh environmental responsibility. First Nations whose citizens rely on caribou for food security and cultural continuity have urged YESAB to ensure any approvals uphold ecological balance and traditional rights.
Public Hearings and Next Steps
YESAB’s executive committee will now select panel members to lead the review. Once that process is complete, the board will open the project to public comment, hearings and community meetings.
Kent Bretzlaff, YESAB’s executive director, said public involvement is central to the process: “There will be the ability — and the requirement — to have hearings on the key issues that are integral to this assessment.”
The panel’s findings will determine whether the Casino Mine proceeds as proposed, requires modifications, or faces rejection. For many in Yukon, the outcome could shape the territory’s environmental and economic future for decades to come.
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