The regulatory body overseeing the cleanup of the Ekati diamond mine in the Northwest Territories has addressed a dispute regarding the unauthorized disposal of emulsion. The Wek’èezhìi Land and Water Board had accused the court-appointed receiver of the mine, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), of depositing emulsion, a blasting liquid, into the mine’s tailings and wastewater facility at Long Lake against clear directives provided by the board.
The board had threatened to suspend PwC’s water license due to the unauthorized waste disposal and requested a meeting with the receiver and the territorial government’s environment department. PwC stated that a government inspector had allegedly approved the emulsion disposal. However, PwC later admitted in a letter to the board on August 21 that the disposal was a result of operational oversight and not intentional defiance of the board’s instructions.
Following the incident, PwC promptly instructed its staff to cease any work involving emulsion within 24 hours of discovering the issue. Approximately 32,000 kilograms of emulsion had been disposed of before operations were halted. Subsequently, a meeting was held involving the board, PwC, and government officials to address the matter.
N.W.T. Environment and Climate Change Minister Jay Macdonald confirmed that the government inspector did not authorize the emulsion disposal. However, he praised the corrective actions implemented by PwC post-incident as appropriate and comprehensive, expressing full confidence in their ability to manage the site going forward. In response, the Wek’èezhìi Land and Water Board acknowledged that PwC was not authorized by the government to dispose of the emulsion into the Long Lake facility.
The board conducted an investigation and introduced new procedures and systems to prevent similar incidents in the future. They also requested increased on-site inspector presence to ensure compliance during the reclamation process. PwC’s spokesperson, Anuja Kale-Agarwal, outlined the corrective measures, including written authorization for water movements, designated accountability personnel, enhanced environmental staffing, and pre-approval for activities outside management plans.
Kale-Agarwal confirmed that the board approved these measures and expressed readiness to collaborate with the board on reclamation and closure activities moving forward.