CARMACKS, Yukon - An aboriginal band says it will appeal to the Yukon government now that a regulator has recommended approval of a copper mine that would use an untried process to clean up 13 million tonnes of acid-soaked ore on the banks of a creek flowing into the Yukon River.

On Monday, the Yukon Environmental and Social Assessment Board recommended conditional approval for Western Copper's plans to build a $150-million open-pit mine on Williams Creek, about 13 kilometres northwest of Carmacks, Yukon. That creek is a few kilometres upstream from the Yukon River, home to the longest salmon run in North America, with between 15,000 and 25,000 fish.

Chief Eddy Skookum of the Little Salmon Carmacks band says he's concerned about the project's potential impact on the river, which supports a small commercial fishery and is a virtual grocery for area aboriginals, many of whom eat fish twice a week.

The mine would use a process called heap leaching to separate the metal from the ore. In heap leaching, ore is crushed, piled on an impermeable plastic liner and soaked with sulphuric acid. The acid dissolves the copper and is pumped out from the bottom of the heap.

Western's heap, located on a hillside adjacent to the creek, would eventually cover 31.5 hectares and use 25 kilograms of sulphuric acid for every tonne of ore.

Company officials have said the method is cost effective, produces copper that is 99 per cent pure and is the only way to deal with the type of ore present near Carmacks.

They promise to clean up the mine by rinsing the ore pile and neutralizing the acidity.

Laboratory tests of the method have been successful, but the board also says in a report that such an ore pile has never been successfully cleaned up anywhere in the world.

"The executive committee acknowledges that there is no example of a successfully detoxified heap elsewhere."

The report recommends that Western Copper run a full-scale "field test" on the first part of its heap to ensure the entire pile can be treated.

That's little comfort to Skookum.

"What happens if the experiment is not successful?"

The board estimated that detoxifying the heap could take a decade. It demands a $21-million bond for the clean-up.

The final decision on the mine rests with the territorial cabinet.

Skookum says he'll ask the government to have independent mining engineers look at Western's plans to see if there's a better way to exploit the resource. He also wants more clarity on the rules surrounding the field test.

The mine would create 200 construction jobs and 180 mining jobs at the peak of its eight-year life and Skookum says his people could use the work.

"We'd still like the opportunity that we think will happen for our benefit ... as a result of this mine."

But he added he's not willing to risk the health of the river.

"We've already had one mistake in our traditional territory," he said, referring to another mine. "We don't want another one."

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