Mine Closure – A Regulators Guide to the Things that Matter
Abstract
Mine closure planning has evolved over recent years and there are now clear guidelines for the mining industry to develop mine closure plans both in terms of their content and the processes recommended for their development. However, regulators appear to sometimes struggle to understand and focus on the things that really matter for governments and communities in relation to mine closure plans.
This paper tries to guide the regulatory sector to (1) develop appropriate legislation and policy;(2) focus on the important things that matter when they are assessing mine closure plans; and (3) look for early signs of good and poor performance at existing operations, and enforce improvement where necessary to ensure that existing operations are ´mining for closure’. The paper has some emphasis on Chile, where there is currently no effective legislative framework or process for the assessment of mine closure plans or the enforcement of mine closure commitments. However, the strategies and practices recommended herein could in principle be applied anywhere.
In providing such a guide, the paper also tries to offer the mining industry an insight into the drivers of regulatory thinking and the possible assessment and enforcement strategies of the regulator, and therefore will hopefully provide some strategic advice about the approaches the industry should take in developing and presenting mine closure plans, and operating existing sites.
The paper is based on the observations and ideas of the author, who has advised two state mining-environmental authorities of Australia (Queensland and Victoria) and the Chilean mining regulator Servico Nacional de Geologia and Mineria (SERNAGEOMIN) about the assessment and audit of mine closure plans, financial assurances and the environmental performance of the mining sector.
Author
David R. Welsh, SKM Minmetal, Santiago, Chile.