Publication Name

MINING FOR CLOSURE

Pursuant to the above examples, Reichardt (2002)

offered a number of comments. Firstly for mining

companies – or the holder of assets/physical liabili-

ties – he indicates that:

achievement of such projects requires person-

nel to take a long term view in planning;

a remit for innovators must be signalled from

the top of the accountable organization;

thinking sustainably and creatively can yield

concrete financial and social returns;

economics and ecology are not inherently at

odds;

project development of this kind requires a dif-

ferent mindset and the introduction of differ-

ent skills;

it must be accepted that feasibility studies can

indeed yield negative outcomes;

avoidance of demolition and closure costs for

part of a site are possible via such pathways;

the transfer of long-termmaintenance require-

ments to another viable and sustainable entity

is feasible;

it is possible to create equity stakes in finan-

cially viable businesses that can then be profit-

ably disposed of at a later stage;

improvement in government and labour re-

lations and the resultant greater flexibility in

managing any downscaling or closure proc-

esses can be yielded by such exercises;

such activities can serve as a concrete dem-

onstration of commitment to sustainable

development, as a demonstration of creative

capabilities to problem solving to enhance

corporate image and as such can yield better

chances at accessing new prospecting and

mining licences.

In the context of this report, it is also highlighted

that the case studies provided above underline

the key role of government and regulatory bodies

– both in terms of flexibility and capacity – in mak-

ing such initiatives successful.

5.2.2

re-mining

Re-mining projects are those where the wastes (or

rejects) of previous mining operations are reproc-

essed in order to recover valuable minerals that re-

main. Technology advances over the past decades

(or even centuries) make it possible for profitable

operations to take place in such circumstances and

such technology advances continue. As a result,

there are many profitable re-mining operations tak-

ing place all around the world.

Box 10

Final void fish and seaweed farm

Case example

Market opportunity

Capital expenditure

Longevity

Infrastructure

Employment

Market

Additional benefit

Fate

Final Void Closure – Diamond Coast Aquaculture Venture

Ponds and infrastructure suitable for shellfish and seaweed farming.

Opportunity for remote but picturesque town to explore its long-term tourism potential.

Not known however, ZAR 30 million saving in pumping infrastructure for new business.

On hold.

Aquaculture venture uses these open cast excavations as well as existing pumping infrastructure

in order to reduce its conventional capital expenditure (about R 30 million).

The operation will eventually employ 54 people farming seaweed and shellfish

Not known.

De Beers faces a ZAR 150 million rehabilitation liability with respect to the open cast mining

activity that it has conducted along the Namaqualand coast over the past sixty years. By utiliz-

ing pits marked for rehabilitation and pumping infrastructure cuts rehabilitation costs by about

ZAR 2 million.

By providing part of the economic base on which the mining town infrastructure can be sus-

tained after mining ceases, the venture would also allow De Beers to receive a return on its

investment into Kleinsee. This could avoid the demolition of the remote but picturesque town

allowing it to explore its long-term tourism potential.

Project placed on hold due to inadequate government permitting capacity

•