Mine Closure 1

Mine Closure
Mine closure is an important issue to many governments and to the mining industry.
In recent decades, in response to both external public activism and internal desires to improve
their stewardship, mining companies have applied ever more stringent environmental
protection measures and standards during mining operations and on closure. During the 80’s
and 9o’s, there was a global trend towards “Designing for closure”, with environmental
protection and closure measures being designed into existing mine operations, and being
mandatory for opening new mines. As a result, closure planning has evolved so that the
mine’s closure is addressed as part of the operating decisions and practices. Through prior
planning, and progressive planning and implementation of measure, costs and impacts can be
minimized.
REASONS OF MINES CLOSE
1. Closure due to exhaustion of minerals
In a perfect world, mines close when their reserves are exhausted. Chandmari project in
Jhunjhunu district of Rajasthan and some mines of Kollar Gold Field are closed due to
complete extraction of minerals.
2. Closure due to economic reasons
One of the best-known examples of ‘‘mass’’ mine closures occurred in October 1985, when
the price of tin dropped dramatically after the collapse of the Internal Tin Agreement at the
London Metal Exchange. The price dropped more than 50%, numerous mines could no
longer remain in operation. This naturally had an impact on large companies but particularly
affected the small-scale tin miners operating. Degana tin mines closure
3. Closure due to geological reasons
Ore reserves are estimates based on the best available data provided by geological,
geophysical, geochemical, and drilling techniques, and by other relevant means. An over-
estimation of the grade and tonnage of a deposit is a common reason for a mine to close
prematurely.
4. Closure due to geotechnical reasons
Mining takes place in a non-homogeneous rock mass, which varies from site to site.
Imperfections in the rock in the form of joints, cleavages, cleats, and other planar
weaknesses, combined with faults, shear zones and hydrological issues, can lead to failure of
the rock mass. Pit slope failures in open pit mines can cause permanent mine closures. Falls
in underground workings have caused the premature closure of many mines, where the
decline intersected a fault and the development failed to overcome the resultant poor ground
conditions. The most spectacular closure is due to geotechnical reasons was an inundation at
GDK-7 mine of SCCL in A.P., and the subsequent inrush and filling of the mine with water
overnight; the mine has temporary closed, inrush also caused the deaths of seven coal miners
5. Closure due to equipment or mechanical failure
Mine closures due to equipment failure have been a part of mining history. One of the more
notorious cases was the Hartley mine in the United Kingdom, which closed in 1862 when its
Cornish Beam pump collapsed into the shaft used to ventilate the mine. As a result, 199
miners perished due to lack of air.
6. Closure due to regulatory pressure
Government regulators generally have the power to close mines due to environmental or
safety breaches. The Government of Fiji, for failure to contain tailings stopped operations at
the Mt. Kasi mine for over six weeks. The North Parkes mines temporarily closed in 1999,
following an incident resulting in the deaths of four personnel. A large no. of small scale
mines have been closed in the Aravali hilly region due to environmental causes by the order
of Supreme court of India.

1
 Mine Closure 2

7. Closure due to government policy

Iron ore mining in Kudremukh forest by KIOCL in Karnataka is almost extinct because of
government policies, which, in response to community pressure, give land use preference to
National Parks over mineral resources. The operations of Dillingham were prematurely
closed by the Government in 1976 at Island after the Island Environmental Inquiry found that
mining constituted a significant threat to the island’s environment. The re-opening of the
Woodreef asbestos mine in Northern New South Wales (Australia) was stymied due to the
controversy surrounding the mining of asbestos.
8. Closure due to community opposition
Some gold mine in New South Wales (Australia) closed in 2001 due in part to the continued
opposition to its operation by an alliance of opposition groups. The low grades sent to the
mill and persistent wet conditions during its construction and early operations also
contributed to its premature closure. The Jabiluka Uranium Mine operated as a development
operation only (i.e. no production of uranium) in the face of highly organised opposition from
environmental and community groups for almost two years before operations halted.
9. Closure due to other reasons
Occasionally, mines close before their reserves are exhausted due to reasons other than those
indicated above. For example, the coal mining operations at Catherine Hill Bay in New South
Wales (Australia) closed after the company was sold to a buyer who wanted to develop the
area for its prime real estate.
RESULT OF MINE CLOSURE / MAJOR IMPACTS OF CLOSED MINE
The extent of impacts due to closed mine and mitigational measures to prevent or minimize
them are classified under the following heads:
(a) Environmental Impacts
(b) Social Impacts
(c) Health and Safety Impacts
(d) Financial Impacts
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
Some types of environmental impacts
 Altered landscape
 Unused pits and shafts
 Land no longer useable due to loss of soil, pH, or slope of land
 Spoil heaps cover the land
 Abandoned tailings dumps
 Changes in groundwater regime
 Contaminated soils and aquatic sediments
 Subsidence
 Derelict works sites with compacted soil
 Burning coal waste dumps and workings
 Changes in vegetation
 Change in drainage pattern of the area
 Lowering of ground water level
 Containment of water
Results of such impacts include:
 Loss of productive land
 Loss or degradation of groundwater
 Pollution of surface water by sediment or salts
 Fish affected by contaminated sediments
 Changes in river regimes

2
 Mine Closure 3

 Air pollution from dust or toxic gases

 Risks of falls into shafts and pits
 Landslides
Large areas of dry land forest that were dug over have still not recovered. There is virtually
no topsoil, and the land is covered by only sparse vegetation and stunted trees. It is estimated
that more than 150 tones of mercury were lost from the diggings to the environment due to
inefficient gold recovery processes.
Acid drainage from the abandoned mine has severely contaminated local streams. There is a
considerable cost of water treatment of the ongoing drainage discharges and only a few
treatment plants are operating. The collapse of an abandoned dumpsite is another problem.
A number of major mine sites are listed as Superfund sites due to the extensive contamination
from materials and exposed ore bodies left behind. Remediation costs totaling hundreds of
millions of rupees are met from a general levy on chemical industries.
SOCIAL IMPACTS
In the developing world, host communities tend to be rural and poor, and their members –
subsistence farmers, fishermen or ranchers – often depend on the natural environment for
their livelihoods. For many local people, the arrival of a new mining operation means losing
their land (either through government expropriation or company negotiations in which they
have little bargaining power) and thus their primary source of income. Finally, mining
operations are sometimes associated with a range of human rights abuses and social ills.
Company efforts to secure valuable mining equipment and minerals through the use of
government or private security forces often leads to intimidation and violence against local
people.
a) Employment problem
Mine closure inevitably affects surrounding communities owing to a greater or lesser reliance
on the mines for their livelihood. While jobs will be lost due to mine closure, as after the final
closure of the mine, the employees will be surplus. The company should consider their
redeployment in other mines or alternative solutions for them. They may be assisted in
establishing small business, or may be provided other opportunities for re-employment.
b) Rehabilitation and resettlement problem
Mining operation will affect the families and land owners in the mine take area directly and
indirectly to the local people. The project affected persons and families will be shifted to the
rehabilitation site during pre-mining stage and active mining stage.
c) Infrastructure and services
Mine provides water, power, health and other services to the communities. Availability of
these services is to be ensured at the time of mine closure with assistance of local government
or infrastructures for these services are to be handed over to local government.
HEALTH AND SAFETY IMPACTS
An extended history of mining has left many square kilometers of land covered with tailings
dumps. Dust from some dumps is affecting amenity and health of residents in nearby
townships. Abandoned pits and shafts over a large area of uncontrolled past alluvial mining
poses a serious public safety risk to local people and animals. The accident rate has never
been calculated. Both mined and unmined mineralized rocks in the mineral belt may create
high background values of sulfate and potentially toxic metals that degrade surface water
during weathering. Sulfates and toxic metals affect both the water quality and aquatic life in
watersheds.
The following are the safety impacts due to abandoned mine:
a) Voids and fractures

3
 Mine Closure 4

At the time of final mine closure, large volume of voids will be left even after internal
backfilling of OB. In case of deep quarry, voids will pose danger to the local inhabitant and
stability of the area. The high wall should be terraced to have safe angle of slope.
b) Safety of adjoining mines
Safety of adjoining mines may be endangered with the closure of mine. Water accumulation
in voids may increase the water accumulation in other mine (underground/opencast mine).
Inundation may be caused.
c) Dealing with fire
Fire in the abandoned exposed coal seam may cause subsidence after the final mine closure.
Fire may result into decay of vegetation, degradation of top soil, lowering of water level, and
pollution of water by fire gases.
FINANCIAL IMPACTS
The closure activities certainly incur some extra financial burden on mine operators. The
financial sureties will encourage mine operators to adopt planned mine closure. Therefore,
financial sureties should be established during project negotiation. In India, and other Asian
countries per capita land holding is very poor. In these countries depletion of green cover is a
burning problem, unemployment is very high and urbanization is taking place at high place.
To generate the source for mine closure in these countries, government should come forward
to encourage the mine operator as the ultimate custodian of the land. Some probable options
are:
 The mine operator may be allowed charge levy on every tones of mineral produced.
 The government may post a portion of royalty to mine closure fund.
 Company asset may be pledged to generate fund.
 Prospective ultimate land user may be identified and allowed to generate fund
OBJECTIVES OF MINE CLOSURE
 Future public health and safety are not compromised;
 Environmental resources are not subject to physical and chemical deterioration;
 The after-use of the site is beneficial and sustainable in the long term;
 Any adverse socio-economic impacts are minimized; and
 All socio-economic benefits are maximized.
These objectives can best be achieved by the preparation of a mine closure plan early in
the process of mine development, in consultation with local communities. Closure planning
includes a commitment to progressive rehabilitation and detailed plan development and
implementation. The plan provides a framework against which short term actions can be
measured during mine life and adjustments made to ensure a successful final closure. It also
provides a view of the potential future for the community’s economic and social life.The
mine closure process begins with planning during the project feasibility assessment phase and
concludes with the surrender of tenure. Where an existing mine has not developed a closure
plan early commencement of closure planning is the best insurance for achieving surrender.
Following technical issues are to be visualized for the mine closure planning:
a) Reclamation of dumps and adjoining area
During quarrying operation, OB will be removed and kept in internal and external dump
space. Dumps of excessive height may deteriorate the aesthetic value of the area.
Post mine site restoration is the crucial stage requiring proper planning. With the ongoing
process of the mining operation, the external dump and internal dump will be technically
reclaimed, and there upon top soil will be spread. Plantation will be done on dumps and
adjoining mine area, reverting the land to its near original or better form.
b) Dump stabilization

4
 Mine Closure 5

During mining, OB will be accommodated in the external dump. Internal backfilling will be
maximized to reduce the land requirement. In case of external and internal dump, overall
dump slope are to be flattened, so that, dumps remain stable. At the same time, vegetation is
to be done to stop the erosion of soil and to improve the aesthetic value.
c) Deterioration of top soil
Top soil which sustains vegetation/plantation will be destroyed during mining if not properly
managed. So, top soil layer will be removed and stacked separately. Later on it will be spread
over the leveled dumps. It will ensure the same utilization of land as in the pre-mining stage
or better form.
d) Details of dismantling and decommissioning plan
As a detailed component of the closure plan, a decommissioning plan should be developed
towards the final stages of the quarry operation. As the exact date of ceasing production is
rarely known, this plan is to be developed 3 to 4 years prior to estimated cessation of quarry
operation. In later years, it may be updated annually. It will dovetail demolition and removal
or burial of all structures not required for other cases.
e) Disposal management of hazardous material
Prior to the surface demolition/restoration, a surface audit should be undertaken on all surface
structures i.e. spoil heaps, lagoons etc. to access whether there are any hazardous material
that could cause problems i.e. explosives, asbestos, chemicals, oil etc. The plan should spell
ways for disposal of hazardous materials.
f) Disposal and alternative use of assets
A list of surface assets should be prepared and made available to potential purchasers that
could have an interest. Prospective purchaser could be invited to view assets and requested to
submit sealed bids. The sale of assets will give better financial gain. Uses of P&M after mine
closure at other mine may also be thought of, if possible.
MINE CLOSURE RISKS
Risk is defined as ‘‘the chance of something happening that will have an impact on
objectives’’. The major mine closure risks are identified as environmental, safety, community,
final land use, legal, financial and technical. It should be stressed that this classification is
intended as a guide, and is not meant to be fully inclusive of all of the issues involved at
every mine site. Due to the dynamic and diverse nature of the industry, new issues will
appear from time-to-time. Each mine will have a unique classification. The following
checklist of the issues involved in mine closure is based on extensive experience gained from
mines throughout world. These are further divided into broad risks, sub-issues, and specific
events .
Classification of environmental risks (RE)
Broad Sub-issue Specific event (options)
closure
risk
Water Surface waters Sedimentation, Effluent Drainage, Acid Mine
Drainage(AMD),heavy metals
Ground waters Contamination(ARD, NMD and processing
chemicals)Drawdown, Agriculture
Downstream usage Drinking , Aquatic ecosystem

Air Gas Greenhouse gas emissions, Other emissions -SO2

Dust Tailings, Stockpiles, Rehabilitated areas

5
 Mine Closure 6

Land Aesthetic values Close to population centre or main roads, Remote

systems Infrastructure Buildings, equipment, camps, Roads, Stockpiles, dumps,
dams, sumps, Borrow pits, Contamination
Soils Topsoil availability/suitability Erosion potential
Reshaping/earthworks Simple
Flora Complex
Reestablishment Rare/significant, Terrestrial
Fauna Avian
Reestablishment Aquatic, Open
Voids Backfill (using waste rock)
Subsidence
Wastes Dumps Reshaping, Covers, AMD, Topography, Seismicity Climate.
Reshaping, Covers, AMD Toxicity, Stability, Land based,
Tailings Riverine, Submarine,
Chemicals including cyanide, Fuels, lubricants,
Hazardous materials Tyres, machinery etc., Garbage
Other
Classification of final land use risk (RLU)
Broad closure risk Sub-issue Specific event
High value Premium agricultural land
(conservation values) Industrial/commercial/ residential
National park/heritage
Medium value Return to pre-existing ecosystem
Forest, Grazing
Low value Previously disturbed mine site
Heavily degraded arid land
Classification of safety and health risks (RSH)
Broad closure risk Sub-issue Specific event
Openings Shafts, raises, winzes Adits, drifts, Backfill, Fencing,
Open pits, Trenches, drill holes, Bunding Reducing,
Dewatering batters
Subsidence Coal or mineral extraction
Crown pillar collapse, Caving
Infrastructure Buildings, equipment
Security Increased security Theft, Unauthorized
access
Radiation source
disposal
Classification of community and social risk (RC)
Broad closure Sub-issue Specific event
risk
Employees Provision for entitlements
Retraining, relocation; claims
Management Improved communication Can be used to soften the blow of
Safety awareness & increase in retrenching employees
injuries as closure approaches Potential for cost blow outs
Keeping team together particularly
key personnel
Landowners Indigenous, Non-indigenous

6
 Mine Closure 7

Affected
residents
General Local Fly-in, fly-out or mining town; One
community company town;
impact Isolation; Mining tradition in area;
High local unemployment; Single
industry town; Residential property
value impact; Impact on family values;
Diversification or decline; Health
Regional; National; issues alcohol, drugs
Classification of technical risk (RT)
Broad closure risk Sub-issue Specific event
Closure plan Plan exists and up to date
Plan not up to date
Rehabilitation progress
against plan
Closure team Management Community cooperation;
Environmental; Planning;
Electrical/mechanical/
financial etc.
Resource/reserves Exhausted Accessible for future extraction;
Not exhausted Potential for new reserves;Sterilised
Mine Closure Legislation in India
The mining is done under special laws aimed at mineral conservation and
environmental protection. The mineral wealth is the state property which leases the mineral
rich area for a fixed period of time. The mineral exploitation is to be done as per the rules
framed for the purpose. The regulatory bodies like Indian Bureau of Mines, State Pollution
Control Board and Directorate General of Mines Safety supervise the entire mining process
and they keep the mine operations on check. The MCDR and MCD rules stipulated the
procedure for mine closure and its provisions are to be followed .
The National Mineral Policy of 1993 expresses the Government’s intent on mine
closure. The MOEF recently introduced a requirement for the submission of the mine closure
plan, five year in advance of mine closure. The regulatory standards applicable during the
operation phase of mine are also applicable at the time of closure .
The National Mineral Policy as amended in 1993 laid stress on environment, forest and
energy conservation. The rehabilitation of closed mines and the displaced persons besides the
aforestation of the mined out area has also been made the part of the policy. The amended
MM (O&R) 1986 and 1999 lay emphasis on environmental protection and rehabilitation of
flora.
Vide Notification GSR 330 (E) dated 10-4-2003, MCDR, 1988 has been amended
incorporating preparation of Mine closure plan. Corresponding amendment has also been
made in MCR, 1960 (Government of India, Ministry of India, Indian Bureau of Mines, 2003).
Salient features of the amendment are as follows:
1. Every mine shall have two types of mine closure plans i.e.
(i) Progressive mine closure plan
(ii) Final mine closure plan.
2. In case of fresh grant/renewal of mining lease, the progressive mine closure plan as a
component of mining plan should be submitted to the RCOM or authorized officer of the
state government, as the case may be.

7
 Mine Closure 8

3. In case of existing mining lease, a progressive mine closure plan should be submitted
within a period of 180 days of the notification.
4. The progressive mine closure plan shall be reviewed and submitted every five years.
Final mine closure should be submitted for approval one year prior to the proposed closure of
the mine.
5. The lessee shall be required to obtain a certificate from the RCOM or officer
authorized by state government, as the case may be, to the effect that protection, reclamation
and rehabilitation work in accordance with the approval of mine closure plan has been carried
out.
MINE CLOSURE PLANNING
Planning for mine closure is fundamental to the responsible operation of a mine. Mine
closure plans should be developed at the feasibility stage for new projects and implemented
on commencement of mining operations. Mine closure planning is essential to enable a
mining company to be adequately prepared and resourced for mine closure at any time. The
timing of mine closure may be known for many mining operations; however there are also
cases where a mine may need to be closed earlier than expected. The most effective mine
closure plans are those that are integrated with the long term operational plans for the mine
and are subject to regular review to accommodate regulatory, technological and economic
change. Roles, responsibilities and actions must be clearly defined and resourced to ensure
successful implementation. For existing operations mine closure plans should be developed
and implemented without delay (QMC, 2001).
Mine closure planning is an ongoing process that must start during the pre-
feasibility stage of a project and be an integral part of the environmental and social impact
assessment and mine planning phase. It is ideally a process where multidisciplinary teams
will work together to optimise the design and operations of the mine such that the closure
objectives can be established prior to the location of facilities. Fine-tuning of this plan will
then be carried out throughout mine life and at the end of operations (MMSD, 2002).
The objectives of mine closure planning are:
 To reduce or eliminate adverse environmental effects once the mine ceases operations
 To establish physical and biological conditions which meet regulatory requirements
 To ensure the closed mine does not pose an unacceptable risk to public health and
safety.
 To achieve a productive use of the land, or a return to its original condition or an
acceptable alternative; and,
 To the extent achievable, provide for sustainability of social and economic benefits
resulting from mine development and operations (QMC, 2001).
Issues of Mine Closure planning
A main issue that must be addressed by mine closure planning includes:
 Health and safety aspect of the rehabilitation programme vis-a-vis physical stability of
the land.
 Selection of rehabilitation activities and closure technology.
 Impact assessment of the project for the post mining period. Scheduling of expenses for
the various stages of closure.
 Scheduling of expenses for the various stages of closure.
 Proposal of financial assurance package.
 Post closure monitoring and maintenance to demonstrate efficacy of long term stability.
The success of mine closure planning depends upon adequacy of input data. The planning
inputs in this case include information of closely related fields, e.g. geo-mining conditions
and socio-economic conditions. Therefore, a well-structured bank is a pre-requisite for

8
 Mine Closure 9

preparing a mine closure plan for a specific mine. The success of mine closure planning also
depends on post mining land use by next custodian and or community participation in post
mining activities.
The life of mine may be forecasted with some degree of certainty. However, forecasted life
may change due to technological advancement in due course, revision of economic reserve
and natural man made disasters. Therefore, environmental implications have to be considered
by an established Environmental Management System (Mishra and Pathak, 2001).
Stages of Mine Closure
Planning for closure includes integrating the closure design for the entire mine area,
identifying the timing of the planning process, considering issues which relate to specific
disposal methods and economic and community objectives, as well as financial provisions.
The process of establishing a closure plan should include:
• A study of closure options – looking at the feasibility of all aspects of possible outcomes;
• A consultative process – involving all interested parties, to determine the preferred after use
for the mine and associated facilities;
• A statement of closure objectives – the mining company’s commitment to the outcome of
the closure of its activities;
• An estimate of closure costs – the cost of achieving the stated objectives; and
• A programme of studies and test work – to confirm any assumptions inherent in the closure
objectives (MMSD, 2002).
The typical steps for closure planning
The typical steps for closure planning are shown in figure.4. These steps also provide a
logical order in which to develop and present the various sections of a Closure Plan Report.
They provide with a progressive description of the material required to understand the need
for, nature of, effectiveness of, and cost the Closure Plan.
Any closure plan must consider the long-term physical, chemical, biological and
social/land-use effects on the surrounding natural systems (aquatic, groundwater, surface
water etc.). Therefore there must be an understanding of the pre-mining environment (step 1)
and the effects of past and future mine development (step 2) on the pre-mining environment.
Operational control measures must be selected (step 3) for implementation during mining in
order to minimize the impact on the surrounding ecosystems. Impact assessments (step 4)
must be done prior to measures selection as well as periodically during operations in order to
determine the success of the measures implemented. Alternative mine closure measures are
developed (step 5) and assessed (step 6) during mine design to ensure that there are suitable
closure measures available to remediate the impact of the selected mine development.

If suitable remediation or closure measures cannot be identified or achieved, then it

may be appropriate to revise the type of mine development proposed (return to step 2). Once
a technically acceptable mine development and closure plan has been developed it is
necessary to prepare a monitoring and maintenance plan (step 7) that will monitor the system
performance during operations and post closure and provide for the maintenance necessary to
ensure the long term functionality of the system components. Throughout this process,
costing and scheduling evaluations (step 8) are completed, if the costs are too heavy, or if
serious flaws in the design are identified, the process returns to the design phase (step 2) and
alternative measures are evaluated.
Once an acceptable plan is completed, an acceptable form of financial assurance is
developed and provided (step 9) in order to cover the costs of plan implementation, long term
operations, monitoring and maintenance of the site post closure. The final stages of the
closure plan process involve the application for (step 10) and approval by (step 11) the

9
 Mine Closure 10

regulatory agencies of the Closure Plan, and implementation (step 12) at the end of mine life
(Robertson, 2006).
In discussing the approach to mine closure and rehabilitation four main stages can be
identified. The length of time for each stage cannot be generally defined as it is a site specific
issue and the planning stage should be on-going, throughout the life of the project.
These four stages are:
• The Planning Stage – a closure plan should be established and integrated into the mine
plan and environmental (including socio-economic) management plan or system at the
earliest possible opportunity and regularly updated during the operating life of the project.
• The Operational Stage – during production the management tests the closure objectives
and takes the opportunity to review, improve and enhance the programme.
• The Active Care Stage – following decommissioning the physical rehabilitation of the site
is carried out and the social mitigation programmes are completed.
• The Passive Care Programme – the passive care programme is a period of monitoring and
management designed to demonstrate that the active care programme has been successful and
the ‘walk-away’ state has been achieved.
It must be noted that moving from the active care stage to the passive care stage requires that
there is not ongoing mechanical water treatment on the site, such as a lime treatment plant for
acid drainage. Similarly, moving from the active care stage to walk-away may not be
accomplished at all at mine sites where passive treatment, water monitoring, and ongoing
maintenance are required (MMSD,2002).
The Closure Plan must be completed in a logical manner which will provide with a
description of the area from pre-mining through to closure. The Closure Plan should also
provide a discussion of the impacts (positive and negative) of mining on the surrounding
environment, socio-economics, land use, health and safety etc. during operations, at closure,
and over the long term as the reclaimed site responds to on-going natural processes of soil
and vegetation evolution, erosion, sedimentation, chemical and physical weathering, frost
action, biotic activity and during extreme events of floods, fire and earthquakes. This long
term response is essentially an assessment of the sustainability of the site post closure and
defines the need for long term monitoring and maintenance required by the site, i.e. the
'burden' placed on succeeding generations(Robertson, 2006).
Integration of other aspects of sustainable development, i.e. economic and societal
interests, has not taken place to the same extent as the considerations for environmental
issues. It can be argued that the considerations related to environmental issues are still at a
fairly rudimentary level and it is therefore clear that much is still to be learned about the
successful closure of mines and integrating the economic and social aspects. (MMSD,2002).
Timing
The timing of planning for closure is determined by a number of different factors and can
influence the closure process itself. Ideally, closure plans should be developed as early as
possible during the feasibility and design stages of new mines. On-going reviews of the
closure objectives and design are necessary to allow for changes in political, legislative,
physical or socio-economic conditions. If planning is delayed, it may affect which mine
closure objectives can be met. (MMSD, 2002).
As is discussed in above Sections, one purpose of developing a mine closure plan is
to obtain a cost estimate of closure so that financial surety can be established. It is important
to establish a fairly accurate plan for the potential closure of the mine during the first few
years of operations as that is a particularly vulnerable time for smaller and more marginal
projects. Unexpected early closure or bankruptcy may require that such a plan be
implemented. It is also customary, at the early stage of project review and design, to develop
an idea of progressive disturbance and therefore the closure liabilities at different stages of

10
 Mine Closure 11

the mine life. It is currently common practice to develop a final closure plan for a facility
(such as a waste rock disposal facility or spent ore facility) or for a whole project closer to the
time of closure implementation. These closure plans are then be submitted to the regulatory
authority for approval prior to implementation. Depending on the project schedule, these
plans should be prepared within the last two years of operation. Some jurisdictions also
require an update of the environmental impact assessment (or preparation of a new one) for
the closure process. This obviously adds time to the approval process for the final closure
plan (MMSD, 2002).

Step 1 Pre-Mining Environment Description

Step 2 Mine Development Section

Step 3 Operational Control Measures Selection

Step 4 Operational Impact Assessment

Step 5 Closure Measures Selection

Step 6 Closure Impact Assessment

Step 7 Monitoring and Maintenance Definition

Step 8 Costing and Scheduling of Plan

11
 Mine Closure 12

Step 9 Financial Assurance Provision

Step 10, 11 &12 Application, Approval And Implementation

Fig4. Typical Steps in the Closure Plan Development Process

CONSIDERATIONS OF CLOSURE DESIGN

Designing for closure requires the mining and environmental teams to work closely
together so that the implications of their decisions in respect of the design and performance
criteria for closure can be clearly understood and anticipated. The needs of mine closure
should form an integral part of the design and management of the mine, from the conceptual
phases through implementation and construction, to full operations.
While designing the criteria for the mine closure, the mine management should
necessarily consider the parameters such as physical stability of the mine describing the
modes of failure, civil engineering materials, and any extreme events, if any, and others as
given below:
Physical stability
Buildings, structures, workings, pit slopes, underground openings etc. must be stable and not
move so as to eliminate any hazard to the public health and safety or material erosion to the
terrestrial or aquatic receiving environment at concentrations that are harmful. Engineered
structures must not deteriorate and fail.
Chemical Stability
Minerals, metals and 'other' contaminants must be stable, that is, must not leach and/or
migrate into the receiving environment at concentrations that are harmful. Weathering
oxidation and leaching processes must not transport contaminants, in excessive
concentrations, into the environment. Surface waters and groundwater must be protected
against adverse environmental impacts resulting from mining and processing activities.
Acid rock drainage
 Use acid-base accounting and kinetic testing to predict the acid-producing potential of
ore.
 Prevent acid rock drainage by limiting contact between water and exposed mine rock.
 Store acidic materials under or dry covers to prevent contact with oxygen or water.
 Use proper post-mining reclamation techniques to prevent the production of acid rock
drainage.
Biological Stability
Reclamation
Historically, many mine sites were abandoned without any attempt at reclamation. In
principle however, the areas or resources affected by mining should be returned to a safe and
productive condition through reclamation. This is not to suggest that reclamation commences
once mining ceases, reclamation should be an ongoing activity throughout the life of the
operation.
Reclamation techniques include: re-grading, re-contouring, and re-vegetation of
degraded land surfaces; containment of toxic or acid generating wastes through the use of
physical (either solid or liquid) or vegetative barriers to prevent erosion or acid drainage; and

12
 Mine Closure 13

long term water management measures through re-contouring or physical barriers to help
contain wastes.
Issues to consider in developing a reclamation plan include:
 Instability of slopes and surface materials.
 Safety issues relating to open pits, shafts, subsidence, toxic, or radiological hazards.
 The physical characteristics, nutrient status, and inherent toxicity of tailings or waste
rock which may contain revegetation.
 The potential for acid drainage from abandoned pits and shafts, tailings and waste rock
dumps.
 The costs of ongoing and post closure reclamation.
 Rehabilitate land areas through re-shaping of landforms and grading to prevent erosion.
 Revegetate project sites using native species.
 Use of overburden soil for backfilling and of topsoil for the reclamation.
Land-use
The closed mine site should be rehabilitated to pre-mining conditions or conditions that are
compatible with the surrounding lands or achieves an agreed alternative productive land use.
Generally the former requires the land to be aesthetically similar to the surroundings and
capable of supporting a self-sustaining ecosystem typical of the area. Issues to consider in
land use plan are:
 Work to develop a long-term, strategic land-use plan to determine where mining and
other development is appropriate and where it should be avoided.
 Avoid mining activity in national parks and lands that are home to voluntarily isolate
indigenous groups.
 Set priorities for conservation, community development, mining and other economic
activities through consultation with experts.
Social and Community Involvement
Each mine is unique and exhibits site-specific closure requirements. Generic approaches to
closure frequently do not resolve environmental issues and are not often the most cost
effective. In-depth and critical upfront analysis by an experienced team of professionals from
various disciplines coupled with ongoing internal audits can provide an acceptable closure
strategy.
Parameters influencing the Social impacts:
1. Help facilitate the negotiation of good neighbor’s agreements between mining
companies and local communities on how to prevent harm and develop standards.
2. Influence commodities.
3. Use public relations, marketing, public image, and media to change opinions of
mining companies.
4. Get mining company’s attention and involvement by influencing them economically.
5. Get them involved early enough at country level strategy when decisions are made to
affect the outcome of mining planning and activities. Decisions on mining must be part of
national agenda and sector level environment planning.
6. Conduct a thorough social assessment at the exploration stage, to predict impacts
and understand local needs and desires.
7. Integrate the social assessment with any environmental impact assessments.
Relocation
 Fully involve local communities in the process of determining where the new
community will be located and what the appropriate compensation will be.
 Ensure that the relocation program includes full resettlement.

13
 Mine Closure 14

 Sponsor a baseline study of the community as it exists before the project, to better
match a new location to the community’s needs.
Economic compensation and support
 Ensure that any compensation scheme is comprehensive, long term and sustainable.
 Make arrangements for infrastructures, such as health clinics, to remain viable after
closure.
 Work with local people to determine what industries or economic activities will be
most important to the area once the mine closes.
 Support local business and use local products when-ever feasible.
 Assist local people in getting loans to start their own businesses.
Government Role
The government has the critical role in post-mining continuation of services and
infrastructures, particularly the financial assistance, to the mine closing activities. Also, the
Government is important in terms of monitoring and enforcement, coordinating the mine
closing activities. At the same time, the Government has to take up the liability when the
costs tend to be in the rise during the closure period. But the company has to plan in advance
such that clean up is done early.
MINE CLOSURE PLAN: GENERAL ACTIVITIES TO BE
IMPLEMENTED
Summary tables are presented for the issues, objectives and control of the various aspects as
they relate to physical stability, chemical stability and land use. Table B1 provides a summary
for water management.
Table B1. Mine closure and water management
Issues Objectives Control
Physical Stability
• dam walls • long-term stability • breach dam or provide water
• structures • safety of structures runoff control
• pipelines • flood capacity • remove structures
• ditches • prevent blockage • upgrade flood design
• settling ponds • prevent erosion • remove pipes
• culverts • free passage of water • fill in ditches
• erosion • monitor
Chemical Stability
• contamination of surface • clean water • remove contamination
water • drain, treat and discharge
• contamination of • install barriers
groundwater • establish vegetation
• monitor
Land Use
• interruption of water • restore drainage patterns • stabilise and maintain dam or
supply or establish alternative breach and establish erosion
• productivity of land • return to appropriate resistant drainage
drainage land use • establish vegetation
Infrastructure on a mine site, such as buildings, roads, electrical supply, etc. could be left in
place if other uses could be found; otherwise these will be removed and the land reshaped and
revegetated. There may be fuel or chemical spills on site that must be treated or removed
during the mine closure. Table B2 provides a summary of the issues associated with
infrastructure.
Table B2. Closure considerations relating to mine infrastructure

14
 Mine Closure 15

Issues Objectives Control

Physical Stability
• buildings • make area safe • disassemble and remove all
• equipment • control access buildings, equipments
• roads • excavate buried tanks and
• airstrips backfill
• restore drainage
• re-vegetate
Chemical Stability
• fuel and chemical storage • make secure and safe • remove all unwanted materials
areas • clean water • treat contaminated soil or dispose
• PCB’s and insulation off
• explosives • control and treat drainage
• fuel or oil spills
Land Use • remove foundations and
• alternative uses • return to appropriate land recontour
• productivity use • restore natural drainage
• visual impact
An important issue at many mine sites is the management of remaining mine related fluids at
the time of closure. These include fluids remaining on tailings impoundments or in heap leach
ponds, which can be treated and discharged or evaporated. The latter depends on the climatic
conditions of the site. It is advantageous to operate the mine so that there is very little process
water left at the time of closure.
Much research has been done in recent years about covers for tailings and other waste
disposal facilities. Advances have been made in the design of wet and dry covers, to reduce
water infiltration and oxygen ingress, in a variety of climatic regions. Ongoing monitoring of
covers is necessary to evaluate their performance.
Closure considerations for underground mine workings, open pit mines, and tailings disposal
facilities are presented in Tables B3–B5 (Sassoon, 2000).
Table B3. Closure considerations for underground mine working
Issues Objectives Control
Physical Stability
• shafts • prevent access • backfill
• adits • seal • plug openings
• declines • safety • vent water and gas
• subsidence • stabilisation •infill underground and surface
spaces
• re-contour surface
Chemical Stability
• mineral leaching • clean water • flood workings
• acid drainage • meet water quality • remove contaminants
• contaminants regulations • treat water discharge
• methane • prevent release • collect and use gas
Land Use
• productivity • restore to original or • backfill disrupted areas
• aesthetics accepted alternative use • contour surfaces
• drainage • re-establish drainage • flood workings
Table B4. Open pit mine workings
Issues Objectives Control
Physical stability

15
 Mine Closure 16

• steep slopes • stable surfaces • re-contour

• unstable faces • remove hazards • establish vegetation
• erosion • control erosion • fence and erect signs
• install drainage
Chemical stability
• metal leaching • clean water and meet • seal surfaces
• acid drainage water quality regulations • flood pit
• control hydrology• treat
discharge
Land use
• productivity • restore to original or • backfill pit
• visual impacts accepted alternative use • re-contour slopes
• drainage • re-establish drainage • establish vegetation
patterns • flood
Table B5. Closure considerations for tailings impoundments
Issues Objectives Control
Physical Stability
• dust • stable surfaces • site selection
• erosion • avoid failures and slumps • dam design
• dam wall • control sediment • tailings disposal method
• drainage • cap and re-vegetate
• control drainage
Chemical Stability
• metal leaching • clean water (surface and • use chemically stable material in
• acid drainage groundwater) by: dam wall construction
• mill reagents - control reactions • pre-treatment of tailings
• dam structure - control migration • cover to control reactions
- collect and treat • form wetland
• divert run-off
• collect and treat effluent
• monitor

Land Use • re-contour, cap and establish

• productivity • restore to appropriate vegetation
• visual impacts land use • flood and form wetland
The impacts of mine closure on the socio-economic status of the surrounding communities
must be considered. Mine closure may remove the major source of economic activity in an
area. Table B7 identifies the important considerations for socio-economic mitigation for mine
closure. These mitigation measures are stated in terms of the work force and local
communities.
Table B7. Socio-economic mitigation
Issues Objectives Control
• work force • re-employment • assistance with looking for
• re-location other work and moving
• financial assistance
• counseling and retraining

• local communities • stable economy • regional development plan

• good health • develop local self-sustainable
• education facilities enterprises

16
 Mine Closure 17

• re-locate in-migrants

17