Seabridge Gold has been recognized by the British Columbia Technical and Research Committee on Reclamation (TRCR) for their Legacy Mine reclamation project. On Sept. 22, the company was awarded the 2022 Jake McDonald Annual Mine Reclamation Award by the TRCR for its $12 million environmental and reclamation program that it is voluntarily pursuing with B.C.’s Tahltan Nation.

Seabridge purchased SnipGold Corp. and its accompanying Iskut project in 2016, which included the historical Johnny Mountain mine. “Along with SnipGold came the Johnny Mountain mine, which was incomplete and came with significant existing historical liabilities,” said Elizabeth Miller, vice-president of Seabridge Gold. “As a result of that, we immediately reached out to the Tahltan Nation to let them know that we were purchasing the project.”

Seabridge is currently working in collaboration with members from the Tahltan Nation Development Corp. (TNDC), and took care to include them in the project planning stage early on. “The reclamation work that we’re voluntarily undertaking at the Iskut project is a great example of how mining exploration companies can collaborate with Indigenous nations to reclaim and advance projects that benefit both parties,” noted Miller.

Once this plan was complete, Seabridge conducted a detailed site investigation of all groundwater and surface water, examined reports about the mine that had been compiled over the years, and finally, began to get to work by removing the hazardous materials that had been piling up in unauthorized landfills around the property.

Other reclamation work the company has undertaken at the site includes completing in-situ hydrocarbon remediation of contaminated soil, transport of potential acid-generating waste rock from the portal pads to the tailings management facility and the closure of five vent raises that posed potential safety risks.

An important goal for the company is transparency about their project, Miller said. “We want to have annual and visual progress on the project. Every year, we choose one or two major activities, and we want to make sure that every year there’s some real visual change on the project.” The major activity for 2022 consisted of demolishing a mill building that was found on the site.

Seabridge is expected to complete the full reclamation and closure of the mining site in 2025.