Faro Mine Long-Term Remediation and Closure – Yukon, CA
Client
- Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada
Project Value 
$308,527,181 USD
Market
Energy And Environment, Water And Wastewater
Services
Program/Construction Management (PM/CM)
The Faro Mine Remediation Project covers more than 25 square kilometers. It ranks among Canada’s most complex abandoned mine clean-up projects. The site lies in Yukon, approximately 400km from Whitehorse, the nearest urban center. It also sits within the traditional territory of the Kaska Nation, with Ross River being the closest Indigenous community to the site.
The mine consists of three open pits that produced lead and zinc intermittently from the 1960’s until 1998 when the operator entered receivership. At one point, the mine ranked as the world’s largest lead-zinc mine. Today, it contains more than 70 million tonnes of tailings and hundreds of millions of tonnes of waste rock. The remediation project aims to prevent contamination from spreading into nearby land and water. At the same time, it creates opportunities for local and Indigenous communities to gain socio-economic benefits.
Comprehensive Site Management and Mine Site Remediation
Since 2016, we have supported the Government of Canada, the Yukon Government, First Nations, and the Town of Faro in successfully managing the Faro Mine site. We serve as the Construction Manager and Care & Maintenance Contractor. In this role, we work closely with affected partners to advance reclamation. Since the site is remote, we rely on a multi-disciplinary team to address challenges associated with harsh weather, complex logistics, and the enormous scale of the site. Together, we implement innovative solutions that protect the environment and support human health and safety. Over the past decade, we have subcontracted more than $125 million in goods and services from Kaska Dena companies. We have also provided approximately 147,000 hours of employment for Kaska Dena people and awarded $17,500 in scholarships.
Site Conditions and Ongoing Management
The site contains extensive acid mine drainage, site contaminants include petroleum hydrocarbons, metals, metalloids, and organometallics. We provide site services across several critical areas. These services include occupational health and safety, environmental and geotechnical management, project management, construction management, and procurement.
We conduct ongoing environmental monitoring to track risk and identify changing conditions. When conditions shift, we carry out urgent work for our client to prevent further impacts. As a result, we help limit harm to the environment and to human health and safety.
After regulators issue the required licenses and permits, we expect to begin implementing the Closure Plan in 2030. We expect that work to take approximately 15 years.
Our Work in the Field
Dena Nezziddi Development Corporation, a Ross River Dena Council business, completes the construction of the Tse Zul camp, with a capacity of 288 people, and was awarded the 2023 Yukon Chamber of Commerce Indigenous Business of the Year because of their work at Faro Mine.
Delivering Safe Operations and Long-Term Remediation
Our Construction Manager model provides Canada with value for money and facilitates alignment with Canada’s goal of using large projects to build Indigenous capacity. We manage the Faro Mine to achieve the project’s five objectives:
- Protect human health and safety
- Protect and restore the environment
- Return the site to an acceptable state of use
- Maximize local and Yukon socio-economic benefits
- Manage long-term site risk in a cost-effective manner.
Our flexible constructiong delivery models support comprehensive Indigenous participation plans. Together, these approaches reflect Canada’s priorities and represent our greated achievement over the past decade.
Parsons is responsible for:
- Project Administration – We coordinate the overall program and manage daily delivery. We oversee scheduling, financial management, and subcontractor activities.
- Site Management – We act as the Constructor for the site. In this role, we manage health and safety for workers and third-party subcontractors.
- Care & Maintenance – We continue site operations and manage water across the site. We also operate three water treatment plants and maintain, repair, and upgrade infrastructure to prevent adverse effects. A seasonted team of approximately 80 staff perform this work. This team includes water treatment operators, heavy equipment operatoes, environmental technicians, and skilled tradespeople.
- Environmental and Geotechnical Management – We manage ongoing an future environmental compliance monitoring and control activities. This work helps meet all regulatory obligations.
- Contracting/Procurement Services – We acquire goods and services through fair and competitive processes. As a result, we help deliver value for money and support taxpayers, Indigenous businesses, and northerners.
- Project Planning/Advisory Services – We complete constructability reviews across numerous designs. We also develop and execute the Project Implementation Plan.
- Risk Mitigation and Remediation Activities – We complete construction work through subcontractors or through our own teams. These activities address site risks and support the remediation plan during the planning phase.
- Socio-economic Benefits – We develop and implement a detailed socio-economic plan. We also engage local groups about upcoming work and opportunities.
