STAGE 5: MINE CLOSURE AND RECLAMATION
No mine lasts forever. They close for a number of reasons. The most common are that the ore bodyOre Body: a mineralized mass whose characteristics and economic limits have been examined. has run out, or mineralMineral: A naturally-occurring, homogeneous substance that has a definite chemical composition and (usually) a crystalline structure. prices have fallen, or costs have risen. All might make mining in a particular location unprofitable.
The time needed to shut a mine depends on many factors. The bigger and more complex the operation, the longer it takes to close. The site must be returned to its natural state or something close to that. As a result, mines that have had a greater impact on the environment take longer to close. The reviews required to ensure a mine closes properly also take time. Sometimes it takes 2-5 years to close a mine. If a lot of environmental monitoringMonitoring: the act of observing something and often keeping a record of it. People monitor mining activities or impactsImpacts: the effect or impression of one thing on another such as the impact of a mining project on the life of an Aboriginal community. in order to determine their effect on the land, resources, and communities. or treatment is required, it may take decades.
The plans for mine closure are drafted during the Construction StageConstruction Stage: the stage in which all facilities, buildings, roads etc. necessary for the operation of a mine are built.. Further details in these plans are worked out during the operation of the mine. Closure involves shut-down, decommissioning, reclamation, and post-closure.
Before shut-down, the mine owner must notify a great many stakeholders that production is going to end. Employees and their representatives must be told, as must governments (municipal, provincial and federal), media, and mining associations. When all production has stopped, employees begin to be laid off. A small labour force is kept on to shut down equipment. The mine closure plan indicates which skills this labour force requires.
Decommissioning involves things like removing buildings, sealing off underground openings, and the monitoring of water and waste rockWaste Rock: barren rock or mineralized material that is too low in gradeGrade: the quantity and quality of metalsMetals: one of more than a 100 basic earth elements, grouped under minerals. Includes iron, lead, zinc, and copper., diamonds or other minerals. to be economically processed. . Reclamation begins whenever and wherever there is land that the mine no longer needs for operations. It can involve recontouring the ground, capping it with a growth medium, and then seeding and fertilizing it.
Finally, post-closure involves monitoring the site. Depending on the results of reclamation, post-closure can go on for a long time.
The mining company must set aside enough money to complete closure, from shutdown through to post-closure. This financial assurance may be a few million dollars for a small mine or over $100 million for a large mine.
Acts and Regulations
Yukon Territory has a rigorous reclamation and closure policy. The policy clearly defines the responsibilities of mine operators to have professionals complete a closure plan. The government agency that provides the reclamation permit also has to approve the mine owner’s monitoring plan. Certain jurisdictions may require special air and sewage permitsPermits: legally-binding permissions that govern activities that may occur during exploration or mine operation, like quarrying, use or impact on water, building of transmission lines, etc.. The operator must satisfy the territorial or provincial government that the requirements for decommissioning and the objectives of the closure plan are fully met. Then the mining company will get a written acknowledgment of release. The site is then considered closed.
Benefits and Opportunities
There are opportunities for the community to be involved in reclamation and monitoring. Since community members are generally committed to remain in the area, they are particularly well-suited to carry out the monitoring. All these possibilities are best worked out well in advance during the Feasibility and Planning StageFeasibility and Planning Stage: the stage in mining when advanced explorationAdvanced Exploration: excavating an exploration shaft or other entry way; construction of an access road to the mine site; diversion or damming of a watercourse to permit bulk samplingBulk Sampling: taking samples in arbitrary, irregular units rather than discrete units of uniform size for analysis.; or other types of work that usually occur once significant mineralization is discovered. activities help develop and support Feasibility Studies and clarify the extent and nature of the mining project. Development of the necessary mining operation plans, permits, and closure and reclamationClosure and Reclamation Stage: restoration of disturbed and/or mined land to its original contour, use, or condition. plans occur at this stage. of the mine, and then written into the SEPA.
* New exploration may take place during Closure and Reclamation. Therefore business opportunities that arose in the Exploration StageExploration Stage: the whole range of activity from searching for and developing mineral deposits. may recur here.
See Appendix 2 for a “Summary of Aboriginal Opportunities during the 5 Stages of Mining."