Publication Name

MINING FOR CLOSURE

document, must still be keep in mind. Moreover,

many mines have been operational for long periods

of time and as van Zyl et al underline (2002a), while

mines in planning stage have maximum freedom

to address sustainable development goals during

closure and while those that are in the middle of

their operating life have significant opportunities to

do so, operating mines that are close to the end of

their economic life have limited options available.

As such, there appears to be a broad consensus

among actors responsible for governance of mining,

NGOs with interest in mining, academics study-

ing mining, senior financial institutions financing

mining projects, and a body of leading miners, that

planning for closure should ideally start during the

pre-feasibility stage of a mining project. Further,

these actors hold that it is clear that successful mine

planning for closure avoids or minimises potentially

adverse environmental and social impacts over the

life of the mine and into the future by carefully con-

sidering the layout and design of the various compo-

nents of a mine. Similarly there is broad consensus

that a thorough understanding of site specifics, not

least the geochemistry of materials present on sites

(particularly mine wastes) is critical to success. Fur-

ther, there is agreement that the process of operat-

ing and closing mines must integrate community

expectations and concerns, governmental require-

ments, and profitability of the mining project, while

also minimising environmental impacts.

Within this document, and within the bounds de-

fined earlier in this section, it is also held that all

this needs to be achieved so that

future

public health

and safety are not compromised; environmental re-

sources are not subject to (abnormal) physical and

chemical deterioration in the

long term

; and that the

after-use of the site is beneficial and sustainable in

the

long term

It should be noted that in many countries, plan-

ning for closure or

Mining for Closure

, as we shall

call it, is a relatively new concept. Further, rapidly

changing economic conditions, particularly in

economies in transition such as those in SEE/TRB,

have led to mine closures (and/or “mothballing”)

in the absence of adequate planning (Smith & Un-

derwood, 2000).

The challenge for such countries is added to by

the fact that, while the broad consensus outlined

above exists, there is not yet “agreement” among

all

actors upon what it is that actually constitutes

mine closure

integrated mining approaches

. This

is especially true in developing economies and

in economies in transition. By working on these

challenges together, all stakeholders can seek to

address the adverse legacy problems and prevent

them in the future. With careful planning, a mine

can become an engine for sustainable economic

development beyond its own life (Post Mining Al-

liance, 2005).

Tailings dam failure – Los Frailes, Spain

Unknown photographer