Cantung Mine

The Cantung mine, currently owned by North American Tungsten Corporation, has operated on and off within the South Nahanni watershed for almost 45 years. Located 85 km upstream from the current national park boundary, beside the Flat River, the mine site is accessed via the Nahanni Range Road, which runs through the Yukon Territory. The lands around the mine site are important woodland caribou calving areas - critical habitat for a federally listed species at risk.

This is an important area to protect within the expanded national park. Problems have been reported at the mine site, including seeping tailings ponds and fuel spills. According to the company, the ore body at Cantung is almost depleted, and only two to seven years remain in the mine's economic life.

CPAWS has been intervening in all of the regulatory and legal processes related to the Cantung Mine.

CPAWS' position on the Cantung mine:

North American Tungsten should post an immediate and full security deposit covering the cost of cleaning up the site, in accordance with the federal government’s policy on northern mines;
The company's operations should be held to the most stringent operating standards to ensure that there is no further harm to the South Nahanni watershed;
When mining operations cease, the company should be required to fully restore the mine site to a functioning natural ecosystem;
All the lands associated with the mine should be turned back to the Crown and added to Nahanni National Park Reserve.

Cantung Mine Reclamation:

Current independent estimates of the cost of reclaiming the Cantung mine site range from $9.4 million to $49.3 million. Meanwhile, the company has only been required to post a $7.9 million security deposit – an inadequate amount to ensure a proper clean up of the site.