High levels of contamination in Nanisivik are raising concerns about the possible health effects on former mine employees.
The Nanisivik lead, silver and zinc mine closed in September 2002 after 26 years of operation.
The company that owns it, Toronto-based CanZinco Ltd., a subsidiary of Breakwater Resources Ltd., is now presenting its plan for cleaning up the site.
The Nanisivik mine closed early because of a slump in zinc prices
Premier Paul Okalik announced last week that the site is highly contaminated, saying people could get sick if they use the buildings from the site.
Since the Nanisivik mine first opened almost 30 years ago, hundreds of people have worked at the site.
Workers came from southern Canada, from nearby Arctic Bay and other Nunavut communities for employment at the mine.
MLA David Simailak says mine buildings won't be moved
The MLA for Arviat, David Alagalak says people fear for the health of former employees.
"There hasn't been an actual explanation to those who once worked in there before about what they can be exposed to at Nanisivik mine," said Alagalak.
"The concern is multiplying up to the point where it's become a very strong concern for them."
People in Arctic Bay, at the northern end of Baffin Island, about 1,300 air kilometres northwest of Iqaluit, have long voiced concerns about the contamination levels at public hearings.
The MLA for Quttiktuq, Levi Barabas, says although there's no concrete evidence of health problems, people still want more answers from both the mining company and the government.
"We'll probably not know till the workers have been getting ill or if there's cancers caused by this contamination, so it's not clear to us yet," said Barabas.
The minister in charge of the Nanisivik file, David Simailak, says he wasn't aware there were concerns for former workers because of the contamination. He referred questions on this subject to the territorial health minister.
Simailak did announce on Friday that buildings at the mine site won't be moved to Arctic Bay because they are contaminated and old.
People in the community had been calling on the territorial government to transfer the buildings.
But the minister says it would be too expensive to clean them up and bring them up to new building codes.
Can Zinco plans to demolish its buildings, Simailak said.
The government intends to do the same, he added.
