City councillor Kirk Cameron has asked for some clarification as to the city’s responsibilities and control over mining activity in the city – particularly the recently-approved permit for Gladiator Metals Corp.

“I want to very carefully return to a topic that has been front and centre with the council over the last few weeks, and that’s about the Gladiator Metals activities in the southern parts of the city,” Cameron told his council colleagues Monday evening.

“There have been many pieces of input, good questions, thoughts, put forward about what’s appropriate for the city where mining and exploration for mining. There’s a very difficult balance.”

Cameron said he wanted clarification on the city’s responsibility for managing water.

“I’m trying to get a fix in my mind as to where our responsibilities lie to look after the interest of water quality for citizens.”

Cameron was told by city staff the territorial government “largely” has authority over the subject.

Mike Gau, the director of development services, said the permit provided to Gladiator came under Yukon government authorization.

“They set the thresholds of the activity that can be carried out,” he said.

“The legislation is within the Yukon government. They are the regulator. That has all been completed, we’re doing ongoing monitoring and we’ve done site inspections.

“We work collaboratively. We are not anticipating any significant impacts from the drilling exploration project that Gladiator is carrying out.”

Cameron responded to that information by asking, “So we’re comfortable with what the Yukon government has in place now and we’re going to get the detailed data that there will be substantive information that can go into the process to determine that there are environmental details here that has to be given serious attention? We’re comfortable they are doing their job?”

Cameron said some citizens are saying it’s more the city’s responsibility to make sound decision-making than the government’s.

“It’s our city,” he pointed out.

Gau said the exploration is a “data-gathering exercise” to find out if there are enough resources for Gladiator to expand its operations.

“There will be years of subsequent approval if the company deems it appropriate. At this time, it is a simple data-gathering exercise.”

The exploration permit for the city’s south end has stirred opposition from residents and the group Yukoners Concerned.