Making 200,000 tons of arsenic dust safe

Giant Mine sits near Yellowknife, in the Northwest Territories of Canada. Once it was a productive gold mine, but after the gold ran out, the mining company went bankrupt and left the government to clean up the mess: enough arsenic trioxide dust to kill everyone on Earth. The solution: freezing it, at least for now.

(you can find contact details and social links there too)

[__aceofspades]

Mine produced 8 billion of gold, and went 'bankrupt', Canadian tax payers are paying 900 million to contain the deadly arsenic for 100 years. The lake and surrounding area are still off limits. One of the worst trade deals in history.

[TomScottGo]

There are posters up in Yellowknife, advising of free arsenic tests for people who've lived there a long time. Do pull down the description for more about the history - it's a story that one person visiting for a couple of days definitely isn't qualified to tell!

[triangulum]

“our work here could literally kill everybody on earth multiple times”
“yea but g o l d”

[miraclo]

When you said that mine was close to the city, I thought it was a fair bit away. Until I looked at google earth. Holy crap that is terrifying. The mine is basically within the city limits.

[cesariojpn]

The hell, is Tom Scott trying to get himself killed in Canada?

Tempts fate at the US/Canada border, goes to the fatherland of Asbestos, makes a video about floods and fire, slips on ice, now he's trying to get hypothermia AND being poisoned??

[alphaadhito]

_Leaving 200.000 tons of toxic mess_

*Sorry*

[JNCressey]

> mines 8 billion USD of gold
> goes bankrupt

[grandgao]

Thank you very much Scott. I once studied at *McGill University*, and one of my peers actually worked on the thermodynamic aspects of Arsenic Oxides. The experimentations were very challenging and required complex approvals, but it would be very rewarding for him to know that his work contributes to remediation projects exactly like this one, and more people could come to appreciate the endeavor thanks to your channel.

[kidbogus]

"Enough to kill everyone on earth several times over" is something we need to focus on more I think

[ogrejd]

It's disgusting how mining companies can get away with declaring bankruptcy and then bugger off without having to do anything about the poisons they've left (since, "obviously", it would be wrong to hold the owners of the company responsible for the company's actions and debts /s).

[venero]

Tom, thanks for the video. I am now completely outraged about how poorly managed mine cleanup has been regulated in my country. Since 2004 I'm sure legislation has been enacted to hold those accountable for environmental damage and careless disregard for the environment doesn't go unpunished...but then I remembered the Mt. Polly mining disaster of 2015.

[GameFreak]

Whenever people bring up 'nuclear waste' as a concern for power plants I really can't help but think about things like this, and how much safer and easier to deal with nuclear 'waste' actually is compared to so many other kinds of industrial waste.

[waltertomashefsky]

"This project has gotten approval for 100 years." Has it gotten funding for 100 years?

[ArtyFartyBart]

It's basically the Balrog.

We got so greedy digging for riches that we dug up something that could kill us all if it doesn't stay dormant forever...

[RaExpIn]

This was very interesting, but also extremely scary... Still nice video as usual!

[job]

Tom thank you for the time and effort put into these videos

[railgap]

for anyone wondering, the difference between a "thermosiphon" and a "heat pipe" is that a thermosiphon uses gravity to return the working fluid to the source end, and a heat pipe uses a porous "wick" layer on the walls of the tube. They are otherwise identical in operation and theory.

[ilikeoranges]

"It has no scent, no taste, and dissolves in water."
Arsenic trioxide is iocane power!

[SmashCubeGaming]

I like that in Canada they use hockey rink technology to freeze lethal poison. You can just imagine the pitch meeting, some executive just sat there not understanding the science and the scientist just says "like they do for hockey" and the executive's just like "I'm in"

[billgreen]

Great video Tom. A story of multiple B'stards. The mining company directors and shareholders who were not compelled to lose their assets until the problem was fixed. The local and national Govt officials who were not compelled to lose their assets until the problem was fixed. And so on.