Guideline Mine Closure
Guideline Mine Closure
Guideline Mine Closure
Director General
Department of Mines and Petroleum
Chairman
Environmental Protection Authority
Contents
1.
2.
DMP is the lead regulator and decision-making authority for mining projects in
Western Australia (WA) under the Mining Act 1978. DMP has the role of
regulating the industry to ensure the closure conditions applied and commitments
made are implemented during the life of the mining project.
From 1 July 2011, DMP requires all new Mining Proposal applications to contain
a Mine Closure Plan prepared in accordance with these guidelines. This
requirement will be stipulated as tenement conditions under the relevant
provisions of the Mining Act 1978 (including section 84), as from 1 July 2011.
From the 1 July 2011, the EPA will generally not assess mine closure as part of
its EIA of mining proposals under the Environmental Protection Act 1986, where
they are subject to the Mining Act 1978. The EPA will only assess mine closure in
these circumstances if it considers there are particular issues which pose a high
For mining operations that have a Mining Proposal and/or a Notice of Intent (NOI)
approved under the Mining Act 1978 prior to 1 July 2011, DMP will require
existing mine closure plans and rehabilitation plans to be reviewed in accordance
with the guidelines and submitted to DMP by 30 June 2014. DMP will use a
prioritisation system to specify in writing to tenement holders when the new Mine
Closure Plans must be submitted. This requirement will be stipulated as
tenement conditions after 1 July 2011, under the relevant provisions of the Mining
Act 1978 (including section 84).
Before preparing a Mine Closure Plan for existing sites or operations with
approved commitments and/or conditions that contain specific closure outcomes,
landform design parameters (e.g. waste dump heights, bench and berm
distances) or rehabilitation criteria, proponents/operators are strongly
encouraged to contact the relevant DMP environmental officers for advice on
application of the guidelines to these sites /operations that will achieve the best
practicable closure outcomes.
For existing operations that are not administered under the Mining Act 1978 and
mine closure is not regulated under the Environmental Protection Act 1986,
operators are expected to liaise with the relevant regulators (see Section 2.1)
about requirements for mine closure planning, and are encouraged to have in
place mine closure planning and implementation consistent with these guidelines.
All Mine Closure Plans approved by DMP on or after 1 July 2011 must be
regularly reviewed over the life of a mine. The Mining Act 1978 requires these
Plans to be reviewed and submitted for approval by DMP every three (3) years or
such other time as specified in writing by DMP. This requirement will be
stipulated in a tenement condition.
The review of Mine Closure Plans does not necessarily require a large rework of
the original or previous Plans unless extensive changes have occurred, but it
does need to provide a confirmation of the current status of closure planning (e.g.
incorporating new data or closure related changes) and reflect the continual
nature of the closure work planning and progress.
For projects that are not regulated under the Mining Act 1978, the Mine Closure
Plan will be reviewed, as required, in accordance with conditions of approval
under Part IV of the Environmental Protection Act 1986 and/or the relevant State
Agreements.
2.6
Tenement Relinquishment
Directions on how to submit a Mine Closure Plan to DMP and/or the EPA are
provided in Appendix C.
The Mine Closure Plan will not be accepted for assessment by DMP if the
checklist provided in Appendix D is incomplete or is found to be incorrect.
2.10
Mine Closure Plans submitted as part of the Mining Proposal application, and the
reviewed Plans will be made available to the public after they have been
assessed and approved by DMP.
Proponents must identify information of a confidential nature, such as
commercially sensitive information or intellectual property that should not be in a
public document, and provide two separate electronic versions (one for
assessment by DMP and one which will be published).
DMP will not make publicly available any confidential information provided it is
clearly identified as such. Any request for such information must be subject to the
Freedom of Information legislation.
Mine Closure Plans submitted to the EPA as part of the EIA document, or in
accordance with the approval condition under Part IV of the Environmental
Protection Act 1986 will be publicly available.
10
Proponents are expected to follow the principles and objectives identified in the
Strategic Framework for Mine Closure (ANZMEC/MCA 2000), and to refer to the
methodology and approaches described in relevant guidance including the
national Leading Practice Sustainable Development in Mining handbooks and the
Planning for Integrated Mine Closure: Toolkit (ICMM 2008).
Planning for mine closure should be treated as an integral component of
operations planning (ANZMEC/MCA 2000), since decisions made during the
operational planning process have the potential to significantly impact on
rehabilitation and mine closure outcomes. As such, mine closure planning needs
to be appropriately integrated into the different stages of the life of a mine (Figure
1), and flexible enough to allow for adaptive management. Adaptive
management is a systematic process for continually improving management
policies and practices by learning from the outcomes of the operational program
(DITR 2006a, ICMM 2006).
Consequently, closure planning should be also integrated into the environmental
management system for the operation or site as much as possible. An integrated
approach to mine closure planning is critical to achieve successful closure
outcomes (Bentel 2009).
The planning process should include strategies and contingency plans to identify
how unexpected or temporary closure of mining operations will be managed. This
will provide the mine operators with the ability for timely evaluation of the
knowledge gaps and risks associated with closure and to develop an appropriate
plan, such as a Care and Maintenance Plan.
Progressive development of a Mine Closure Plan through the mine lifecycle, as
shown in Figure 1, and progressive rehabilitation, are critical to the successful
implementation of mine closure planning (DITR 2006a). Progressive rehabilitation
has many benefits including:
11
Figure 1: Integrating Stages of Mining and Mine Closure Planning (adopted from
DITR 2006a, ICMM 2006)
DMP and the EPA endorse a risk-based approach to mine closure planning (EPA
2009a) since it reduces both cost and uncertainty in the closure process
(ANZMEC/MCA 2000). The benefits of a risk based mine closure process
include:
12
performance;
Orderly, timely and cost-effective closure outcomes;
Reduced uncertainty in closure costs; and
Continual improvement in industry rehabilitation standards (e.g. cover
design, and management of contaminated drainage, erosion and
seepage).
Consistent with the risk-based approach, the level of detail required by DMP and
EPA increases with the level of risk associated with each key closure issue and
time to closure, as generally indicated in Table 1 below:
Table1: Indication of required level of closure detail
Life of Mine
Identification
and
Post-mining Management of
Land use
Key
Environmental
Issues
Provisional
targets unless
agreed to by all
key
stakeholders as
being final
Well
advanced
Medium term
(10 to 25 years)
High risk
components
completed
Indicative except
for high risk
operations
Indicative
Preliminary
except
for high risk
operations
Completed
Well advanced
Increased
accuracy
Well
advanced
Well advanced
to
Completed
Completed
Well advanced
to
Completed
Accurate
Completed
Completed
Completed
Completed
Accurate
Completed
Determined on
a case by
case basis
depending on
mine
life and risk
Completed
Determined on
a case by
case basis
depending on
mine
life and risk
Determined on
a case by
case basis
depending on
mine
life and risk
Determined on
a case by
case basis
depending on
mine
life and risk
Long term
(25+ years)
Short term
(Up to
10 years)
Closure
Outcomes
Closure
Costing
Closure
(not to be
Implementation
submitted unless and Monitoring
Plans
requested by
DMP)
Small Mining
Operations
Existing
operations
The preparation of Mine Closure Plans should give specific consideration to the
following key principles and approaches (DITR 2006a):
At all stages, from the project approval stage onwards, the Mine Closure
Plan should demonstrate that ecologically sustainable mine closure can be
13
Planning for mine closure should be fully integrated in the life of mine
planning, and should start as early as possible and continue through to
final closure and relinquishment. For new projects, closure planning
should start in the project feasibility stage (before project approvals).
14
Figure 2: General Guide for evaluating a Mine Closure Plan (adapted from ELAW
2010).
15
A Mine Closure Plan is a dynamic document and will be regularly reviewed and
progressively developed and refined over time, to ensure that detail in the Plan
reflects current knowledge and relevant to the development status of the mine
(Figure 1 and DITR 2006a, Chapter 3).
DMP and the EPA accept that not all the necessary detail for final closure is
available in the early stages of the project, particularly in the project approval
stage. The Mine Closure Plan submitted at these stages must enable DMP and
the EPA to understand the issues that require management at closure, and have
confidence that all relevant issues have been identified and appropriately
managed (Figure 2). This is to ensure an accurate assessment and informed
decision by DMP and the EPA can be determined.
For short term projects (up to 10 years), due to the relatively short time before
closure, DMP and the EPA expect the Mine Closure Plan submitted at the project
approval stage provides more detailed level of information on final closure ,
including specific information on final landforms and rehabilitation, plant and
infrastructure decommissioning, and closure monitoring and maintenance. For
longer term projects (more than 10 years), due to the longer time before closure,
less detailed information on the final closure may be required at the project
approval stage (see Table 1, Section 3). However more detailed information may
be required for longer-term projects where there is a high level of environmental
risk.
A Mine Closure Plan submitted as part of a Mining Proposal document (Section
2.2), must relate to that particular mining proposal or, where practicable, can be
prepared for the whole site. A reviewed Mine Closure Plan (as required in
Section 2.5) must be prepared for the whole site.
Where a mining proposal is subject to assessment by the EPA, the mine closure
plan should cover the whole site.
To reduce duplication when the Mine Closure Plan is submitted as part of a
Mining Proposal or an EIA document, references should be made in the Mining
Proposal or in the EIA document to the relevant closure information provided in
the Mine Closure Plan. The Mining Proposal or the EIA document can describe
the key components of mine closure and rehabilitation, with closure details
provided in the Mine Closure Plan.
The Mine Closure Plan must be accompanied by site plans (surveyed), aerial
photographs, and appendices with detailed information supporting the plan,
where appropriate.
To ensure efficient assessment, DMP and the EPA require of the Mine Closure
Plan to be structured in the following format:
1.
Cover Page
2.
3.
Table of Contents
4.
16
Project Overview
6.
7.
8.
Stakeholder Consultation
9.
Cover Page
Checklist
4.3
Table of Contents
The Table of Contents for a Mine Closure Plan must include a List of Figures,
Tables and Maps as appropriate.
17
4.4
This section outlines why the Mine Closure Plan is being submitted is it part of
approval documentation, ministerial condition requirement, tenement condition
requirement, requirement under the Mining Act or a combination of above, or a
reviewed Mine Closure Plan. This section should also provide the scope of the
Plan and other relevant introductory information.
Project Summary
4.5
This section provides background information on the history and status of the
project including proposed and existing mining operations. This information is
necessary where the Mine Closure Plan is a not submitted with a Mining
Proposal or an EIA document.
Required information includes:
4.6
All legal obligations relevant to rehabilitation and closure at a given mine site
must be identified and provided in a suitable format, usually referred to as a
Legal Obligations Register. The Register should form part of the operators
overarching legal register for all operations on the site. An example of a tabulated
format for the Register is provided in Appendix E.
The Register must include all legally binding conditions and commitments and/or
legal obligations applicable under relevant State and Federal legislation. The
Register must also include references to individual tenement conditions, Mining
Proposals, Notices of Intent, Letters of Intent, Programmes of Work, Ministerial
Statements, Commitments, licence conditions and all other legally binding
documents.
The Register may also include the safety obligations (and non-legally binding
commitments) pertaining to closure.
The Register provides a valuable tool when setting closure criteria, as
environmental commitments can be cross referenced. Compliance with closure
conditions is an absolute requirement for the governments sign off before
18
4.7
Where applicable, collection and analysis of closure data must be designed and
implemented to meet the following minimum requirements:
Environmental Data
Information from baseline studies undertaken prior to the commencement of
mining operations, and from on-going studies including studies of suitable
reference sites is necessary to:
Local climatic conditions and projected future climate change for the area.
Local physical conditions topography, geology, hydrogeology, hydrology,
seismicity and geotechnical data.
Local and regional environmental information on flora, fauna, ecology,
communities and habitats.
Local water resources details type, location, extent, hydrology, quality,
quantity and environmental values (ecological and beneficial uses).
Soil and waste materials characterisation soil structure and stability (e.g.
erodibility), growth medium type and block modelling of waste materials;
19
All technical reports must be referenced in the Mine Closure Plan, with relevant
reports provided as appendices, as appropriate.
Analysis of Data
Analysis of the collected data is a critical element in understanding the issues
impacting mine closure and identifying knowledge gaps (Mackenzie et al. 2006,
ICMM 2008).
Once all the closure related information has been obtained, the next step is to
analyse the information and identify any information gaps, which may potentially
affect the rehabilitation and closure outcomes. The risk associated with not
having this information should also be investigated and documented. This will
enable the information gaps to be prioritised and acted upon appropriately.
Where appropriate, the data analysis should take into account the natural
background levels of particular elements (such as naturally occurring radioactive
materials or heavy metals) and possible environmental impacts from other
sources including nearby mining operations and other land uses, which may
affect the closure strategy or management of the site.
20
4.8
For the purpose of the guidelines, the term stakeholders include both internal
and external stakeholders who are likely to affect, to be affected or to have an
interest in mine closure planning and outcomes. The internal stakeholders should
include mine managers, mine planners, engineers and relevant staff involved in
mine planning and technical/operational decision making. The external
stakeholders typically include the government (such as regulatory agencies, local
authorities), post-mining land owners/managers (such as private land holders,
indigenous/traditional land owners, lease holders, Pastoral Lands Board, State
land managers), local community members or groups and interested NonGovernment Organisations (NGOs). The term key stakeholders refers to postmining land owners/managers and relevant regulators.
Stakeholder consultation is a key component of the mine closure planning
process. Early engagement with stakeholders enables operators to better
understand and manage their expectations and the potential risks associated
with closure. Where practicable, this process should be part of the consultation
process for project approvals. The consultation process should continue
throughout the different stages of mine closure planning (Figure 1). Failure to
undertake a consultation program may compromise the approval process and
mine closure outcomes.
The consultation process should follow the five principles (ANZMEC/MCA 2000):
It is important that all stakeholders have their interests and concerns considered
and where appropriate, addressed, and the key stakeholders have an opportunity
to provide feedback on the response or proposed action to address their interests
and concerns, particularly in the process to determine post-mining land use,
closure objectives and outcomes (Sections 4.9 and 4.11).
As an example, the establishment of a consultative closure committee, integrated
into an overall stakeholder engagement strategy, can provide a useful forum for
discussion and communication on closure issues (DITR 2006a).
The Mine Closure Plan must demonstrate that an effective communication
strategy has been developed or put in place to engage with stakeholders, and
that the interests and concerns of the key stakeholders (as defined above) have
been considered and if appropriate, captured in the development of the plan.
21
4.9
The Mine Closure Plan must identify post-mining land use(s) and set out sitespecific closure objectives consistent with those land use(s).
The post-mining land use(s) and closure objectives are necessary to provide the
basis for developing completion criteria and performance indicators (Section 4.
11).
Post-mining land use(s)
The post-mining land use(s) must be:
22
4.10
DMP and the EPA require that sufficient work is undertaken prior to the project
approval stage (for new proposals) or as early as possible (for existing
operations), to ensure that all key environmental issues and workable
management mechanisms relevant to mine closure are identified. This will allow
strategies, mitigation measures and closure designs to be developed, assessed
and reviewed in the years leading up to closure.
Some closure issues currently facing mining projects include, but are not limited
to:
Hazardous materials;
Hazardous and unsafe facilities;
Contaminated sites;
Acid and metalliferous drainage or AMD;
Radioactivity;
Fibrous ( including asbestiform) minerals ;
Non-target metals and target metal residues in mine wastes;
23
Detailed guidance on how to identify and manage these issues is widely available
in references including the Leading Practice Sustainable Development in Mining
handbooks on mine rehabilitation (DITR 2006b) and on mine closure and
completion (DITR 2006a).
Appendix H provides information on some specific closure issues relating to
AMD, mine pit lakes, radioactivity, dispersive materials and rehabilitation.
Adequate characterisation of materials is critical to the identification and
management of closure issues, and should include potentially problematic
materials (such as AMD, radioactive and asbestiform materials). Characterisation
of materials should also be carried out for the benign materials intended for use
in mine rehabilitation activities such that the physical, chemical and nutrient
characteristics of the material is sufficiently well understood to ensure it will
perform according to planning expectations. The volumes of rehabilitation
materials required to fulfil closure plans should be reconciled against inventories.
When assessing closure issues, the potential for contamination over the life of a
mine needs to be considered so that the contamination can be removed, treated,
contained or managed to meet the purposes of the agreed post-mining land
use(s) and where practicable, to maximise the beneficial use(s) of the land after
mining. To ensure compliance with the Contaminated Sites Act 2003 and
Contaminated Sites Regulations 2006, closure strategies will need to be
designed to incorporate investigation and remediation of contamination (refer to
Section 2.8).
The Plan must demonstrate that all the key issues associated with closure are
identified early in the initial mine feasibility and planning stages for new proposals
or as early as possible for existing operations, and that these issues can be
effectively managed, with the level of detail evolving during the life of the mine
(Figure 1).
The Plan must provide adequate information on the processes and
methodologies undertaken to identify the closure issues, their potential
environmental impacts post-mining and workable mitigation/management
measures. This process needs to be integrated with the stakeholder consultation
process (see Section 4.8). Concerns from the key stakeholders and learnings
from experience must be incorporated into this process. The information can be
presented in a tabulated format and included as an appendix. Detailed
information on the key issues and mitigation/management measures should be
provided in the text, where applicable. Depending on the size and complexity of
the project, this may be done across the whole project/site or broken down into
domains (Appendix I).
24
4.11
25
4.12
Remediation of contamination:
o Survey program
o Remediation program
o Maintenance and monitoring
Indicative closure cost estimates may be acceptable in the project approval stage
provided that the process and methodology are transparent and verifiable,
assumptions and uncertainties are clearly documented, and they are based on
reasonable site-specific information and data.
The closure cost estimates must be regularly reviewed to reflect changing
circumstances and to ensure that the accuracy of closure costs will be refined
and improved with time.
It should be noted that financial securities (or environmental bonds) required
under the Mining Act 1978, the Environmental Protection Act 1986 and/or State
Agreement Acts are separate from the internal accounting provisions for closure
and should not be offset against these provisions (ANZMEC/MCA 2000).
The Mine Closure Plan must contain a summary of the mine closure costing
methodology, assumptions and financial processes to demonstrate to DMP and
the EPA that the proponent has properly considered and fully understood the
costs of meeting closure outcomes identified in the plan, and made adequate
provisions in corporate accounts for these costs.
The process and methodology for calculating the cost estimates must be
transparent and verifiable.
Reference to the detailed closure costing report must be provided in the Plan.
Where necessary, DMP may require a fully detailed closure costing report to be
submitted for review, and/or an independent audit to be conducted on the report
to certify that the company has adequate provision to finance closure. Where
appropriate, the costing report should include a schedule for financial provision
for closure over the life of the operation (ANZMEC/MCA 2000).
4.13
Closure Implementation
DMP requires the Mine Closure Plan submitted as part of a Mining Proposal to
contain a summary of closure implementation strategies and key activities for the
27
The closure work programs developed at the project approval stage may contain
broadly identified tasks and indicative timeframe, which will be refined or
expanded in the subsequent reviews of the Mine Closure Plan. However, the
level of information provided at any stage of the project must demonstrate that for
each feature, closure requirements and potential knowledge gaps have been
appropriately identified, with adequate lead time being allowed to investigate
these gaps and meet those requirements.
The closure work programs need to be reviewed and updated regularly to reflect
operational changes and/or new information.
Further explanation on some of the above requirements is provided below:
Research, investigation and trials:
The information obtained from these activities can be used to help close
information gaps and determine the most appropriate rehabilitation strategies to
proceed with. Research tasks may be a one off task such as undertaking a
waste characterisation program of a landform or they may be a series of tasks
leading to trials that take years before relevant information is known (for example
a trial to ascertain the best cover material for a tailings storage facility).
28
29
Completion of rehabilitation;
At least two years prior to the planned end of a mine site, project and/ or an
operation, DMP or the EPA will require the Mine Closure Plan to contain more
specific detail on the planning and implementation of the decommissioning
phase.
4.14
The Mine Closure Plan must include appropriate detail on closure performance
monitoring and maintenance framework during progressive rehabilitation and
post-closure, including the methodology, quality control system and remedial
strategy.
The performance monitoring results will be reported to DMP or the EPA in an
Annual Environmental Report (AER) and/or a Triennial Environmental Report.
The report must document progress against the agreed completion criteria and
rehabilitation targets. Any remedial action taken where the results are outside the
agreed targets must also be reported. Where applicable, the results of
rehabilitation trials should also be reported in the AER, and the results should be
used to update the Mine Closure Plan. The Guidelines for preparation of an AER
are available on the DMP website www.dmp.wa.gov.au.
A preliminary plan for closure monitoring and maintenance may be acceptable in
the early stages of the project. As the operations approach closure, DMP will
require the Mine Closure Plan to contain a detailed Post-Closure Monitoring and
Maintenance Program.
It is important that provision should be made in closure planning for an adequate
period of post-closure monitoring and maintenance, including provision for
remedial work if monitoring shows closure criteria are not being met. Of particular
importance is the development of support mechanisms for the monitoring and
maintenance phase, when operational support (accounting, maintenance,
earthmoving equipment, personnel, etc) are no longer available from the
company (ANZMEC/MCA 2000).
The measurement techniques considered in the program must be able to
demonstrate that the site specific completion criteria and environmental
indicators have been met (ANZMEC/MCA 2000). Evidence that adequate
resources have been set aside to implement the program is required. This will
account for the expectation that the monitoring and maintenance period will
extend for many years after closure, until it can be demonstrated that closures
30
4.15
Information for incorporation into state and national natural resource data
bases; and
The potential for improved future land use planning and /or site
development.
31
32
REFERENCES
ANZMEC/MCA 2000 Strategic Framework for Mine Closure, Australian and New
Zealand Minerals and Energy Council and Minerals Council of Australia,
National Library of Australian Catalogue Data.
ARPANSA 2002, Recommendations for Limiting Exposure to Ionizing Radiation
(1995) and National Standard for Limiting Occupational Exposure to Ionizing
Radiation (1995), Radiation Protection Series No. 1, a publication produced by
the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency, republished
March 2002 (www.arpansa.gov.au/Publications/codes/index.cfm).
ARPANSA 2005, Code of Practice and Safety Guide for Radiation Protection and
Radioactive Waste Management in Mining and Mineral Processing, Radiation
Protection Series No. 9, a publication produced by the Australian Radiation
Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency , August 2005
(www.arpansa.gov.au/Publications/codes/index.cfm).
ARPANSA 2010, Environment Protection: Development of an Australian
approach for assessing effects of ionising radiation on non-human species
Technical Report TR154, a publication produced by the Australian Radiation
Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency, October 2010
(www.arpansa.gov.au/publications/TechnicalReports/index.cfm).
33
34
35
36
List of Appendices
Appendix A
Appendix B
Appendix C
Appendix D
Appendix E
Appendix F
Appendix G
Appendix H
Appendix I
Appendix J
Appendix K
Definitions
Contact Details
Mine Closure Plan Submission
DMP Mine Closure Plan Checklist
Example of Legal Obligations Register
Example of Stakeholder Consultation Table
Example of Closure Objectives
Specific Closure Issues
Domain Model
Risk Assessment and Management
Closure Completion Criteria Development
37
Closure
Completion
Consultation
A process that permits and promotes the two-way flow of ideas and
information. Effective consultation is based on principles of
openness, transparency, integrity and mutual respect. Implicit in the
concept is a requirement that the party consulted will be (or will be
made) adequately informed so as to be able to make intelligent and
useful responses (http://www.goodpracticeparticipate.govt.nz/levelsof-participation/one-off-consultation/index.html).
.
DEC
Decommissioning
DoW
Department of Water.
Disturbed
Disturbance Type
DMP
Domain
Earthworks
Ecologically
Sustainable
38
EPA
Environmental
Value
Kinetic testing
Legal Obligations
Register
Life Of Mine
Mineral Processing
Facilities
Pits
Post-mining land
use
Term used to describe a land use that occurs after the cessation of
mining operations.
Preliminary
Earthworks
Project
Rehabilitation
The return of disturbed land to a stable, productive and/or selfsustaining condition, consistent with the post-mining land use.
Relinquishment
Revegetation
Safe
39
Stakeholder
Static testing
Tailings Storage
Facility
An area used to store and consolidate tailings, and may include one
or more tailings storage features.
Tenement
Land tenure granted under the Mining Act 1978 e.g. Mining Lease,
Exploration Licence, Prospecting Licence, Miscellaneous Licence
and General Purpose Lease.
Unacceptable
Liability
Waste Landforms
(or Dumps)
40
Kalgoorlie Team
Environmental Co-ordinator
Phone: +61 8 9021 9429
Corner of Hunter Street & Broadwood Street
WEST KALGOORLIE WA 6433
Or Locked Bag 405 KALGOORLIE WA 6430
The contacts for environmental officers for particular mineral fields can be found
on the Environmental Regional Inspectorate Map at:
http://www.dmp.wa.gov.au/documents/ED_InspectorateMapSeptember2010.pdf
Contact details for other relevant regulatory agencies include:
Department of Environment and Conservation Online information provided at
www.dec.wa.gov.au select Contact us
Department of Water
Online information provided at www.water.wa.gov.au select Contact us
41
42
10
11
43
Y/N
NA
Page
No.
Hard copies =
Electronic =
Comments
44
Y/N
NA
Page
No.
Comments
Y/N
NA
Page
No.
Comments
Corporate Endorsement:
I hereby certify that to the best of my knowledge, the information within this
Mine Closure Plan and checklist is true and correct and addresses all the
requirements of the Guidelines for the Preparation of a Mine Closure Plan
approved by the Director General of Mines.
Name: ________________________
Signed: _______________________
Position: ______________________
Date: _________________________
45
Closure Conditions
Date
Closure Condition
Closure Condition
Date
Category:
Aspect related to Closure
46
No.
Condition
Closure Commitment
47
Description of
Consultation
Stakeholders
Stakeholder
comments/issue
Stakeholder
Response
Acceptable
2010 ongoing
Quarterly
meetings
Traditional
owners
date
Meeting to
discuss
potential postmining land
uses
Pastoralist
neighbour
Acceptable
2010 ongoing
Periodic
meetings to
discuss postmining
opportunities
Local Shire
N/A
48
Landforms
Constructed waste dumps will be stable and consistent with local
topography.
Constructed Tailings Storage Facilities will be non-polluting and toxic or
other deleterious materials will be permanently encapsulated to prevent
environmental impacts.
Surface water bodies shall not be left in mining voids unless operator
demonstrates there will be no significant environmental impact (such as
salinisation, reduction in water availability, toxicity, algal problems,
attraction to pest species or a local safety hazard).
Revegetation
Fauna
Fauna utilisation, abundance and diversity appropriate to specified postmining land use.
Water
49
Surface and groundwater levels and quality reflect original levels and
water chemistry.
Any water runoff or leaching from tailings dams, overburden dumps and
residual infrastructure shall have quality compatible with maintenance of
local land and water values.
The location and details of any buried hazards will be clearly defined and.
robust markers be installed and maintained.
50
51
Figure H.1: Decision path for some specific closure issues(adapted from ELAW
2010).
52
The term acid and metalliferous drainage or AMD is preferred instead of the older
term acid mine drainage in order to emphasise that contaminated mine drainage
may consist of acid drainage and/or metalliferous drainage.
53
54
55
56
Figure H.2: Decision path for managing AMD and other contaminated mine drainage
including seleniferous drainage (adapted from ELAW 2010).
57
58
Potential
impacts
groundwater
Significant groundwater
impacts unlikely.
Closure options
59
If impacts on surrounding
groundwater resources assessed
to be significant and cannot be
otherwise mitigated effectively,
possible closure options are:
Potential groundwater
impacts
Closure options
Contaminated
pit lake
(Acid, alkaline,
elevated metals
or metalloids)
Possible contamination of
surrounding groundwater.
No impacts on groundwater
quality.
Notes:
1
Consideration also needs to be given to the potential for pit lakes to act as breeding areas for
mosquitoes, including risk of spread of mosquito-borne diseases. If mosquitoes are likely to be a
significant issue, proponents will need to make arrangements for ongoing management.
2
Goats prefer saline water with up to 12,500 mg/l total dissolved solids compared with freshwater.
Goats adapted to saline water appear to be able to tolerate higher levels of salt than sheep and can
live on seawater (McGregor, BA 2004, Water quality and provision for goats, Rural Industries Research
and Development Corporation, Australian Government, Canberra.)
Radioactivity
For uranium mines, as well as other types of mines where radioactivity may be
an issue (for example mineral sands mines), management of radioactivity will be
one of the key considerations for closure planning.
Radiation Management
During any stage of closure planning, radiation management should demonstrate
compliance with the two important guiding principles in radiation protection, the
as low as reasonably achievable or ALARA principle and the best practicable
technology principle. These principles have been defined by the International
Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP), endorsed by the Australian
Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA 2005) and adopted
in WA radiation protection legislation:
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The ALARA principle has the meaning stated in Clause 117 of ICRP
Publication 60 (ICRP 1991, p.29, Item 4.3.2). The broad aim is to ensure
that the magnitude of the individual doses, the number of people exposed,
and the likelihood of incurring exposures where these are not certain to be
received, are all kept as low as reasonably achievable, economic and
social factors being taken into account.
best practicable technology is that technology available from time to
time, and relevant to the project in question, which produces the minimum
occupational doses, member-of-public doses both now and in the future,
and environmental detriment that can be reasonably achieved, economic
and social factors taken into account.
It should be noted that the current system of radiation protection has been based
on human health considerations because it is generally believed that the
standard of environmental control required for protection of people will ensure
that other species are not put at risk (ARPANSA 2002 & 2005). Notwithstanding
this, the ICRP (ICRP 2007) recommended that "it is necessary to consider a
wider range of environmental situations, irrespective of any human connection
with them". ARPANSA is currently examining the recommendations of ICRP on
radiological protection of non-human species (ICRP 2008) and applicability to the
Australian uranium mining context (ARPANSA 2010).
In WA, the Radiation Safety Act 1975, administered by the Radiological Council,
regulates all aspects of radiation protection including the transport of radioactive
materials. In addition, there are radiation protection controls placed on the mining
industry, through Part 16 of the Mines Safety and Inspection Regulations 1995. A
Radiation Management Plan must be prepared and submitted for approval by the
State mining engineer (unless a written exemption is obtained). The Radiation
Management Plan must include a Radioactive Waste Management Plan (RWMP)
and an outline of the proposal for the eventual decommissioning and
rehabilitation of the mine (regulation 16.7).
The objective of a RWMP is to ensure that there is no unacceptable health risk
to people, both now and in the future, and no long-term unacceptable detriment
to the environment from the waste so managed, and without imposing undue
burdens on future generations (ARPANSA 2005). In designing and planning for
mine closure, the RWMP should be developed in conjunction with the overall
project environmental management plan and use a risk based approach
(DRET/GS/DEWHA 2010). The RWMP should also demonstrate the application
of the ALARA and best practicable technology principles (ARPANSA 2005).
Before mining operations commence, the results of an approved baseline
environmental radiation monitoring program must be submitted to the relevant
regulators. The establishment of the baseline conditions is an important part of
the development of a RWMP:
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saline sodic;
non-saline sodic; and
fine, non-sodic materials of low cohesive strength.
Dispersion tests are the most useful laboratory tests for identifying the
susceptibility of a soil to tunnelling, though it should be noted that tunnel
formation is not entirely confined to dispersive materials.
There are strong interactions between the design of constructed landforms and
the development of tunnel erosion. Water ponded on saline sodic materials can
result in: the leaching of salt by the ponded water; reduced soluble salt;
increased dispersion, followed by development of tunnel erosion. For noncohesive materials, long durations of ponding are also a major factor in
developing tunnel erosion.
In order to predict the mid to longer term performance of landforms ('as mined'
materials can have properties that change after placement in landforms), it is
essential that the inevitable micro-structural, chemical and mineralogical
evolution of wastes can be predicted and the impact of these changes on erosion
hazard determined. Initial soil parameters that provide information on tunnel
erosion potential are:
i) Electrical Conductivity (EC) to assess potential salinity constraints on
dispersion;
ii) Exchangeable cations, with particular emphasis on exchangeable
sodium percentage (ESP) to assess dispersion potential;
iii) Potentials for slaking and dispersion (Emerson test);
iii) Particle size distribution (to provide an indication of soil cohesion and
liquefaction contributions to tunnel formation/failure); and
iv) Clay mineralogy (for swelling influence).
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Based on the data obtained, a judgment can be made on which subsequent tests
are most appropriate. Leaching column tests provide a good indication of the
hydraulic conductivity of a material and of its potential for sealing or blockage of
soil pores to occur. Erodibility measurements provide an indication of the
potential for continued development of tunnels (and tunnel gullies).
Characteristics contributing to high erodibility are also factors in the initiation
(dispersive and poor structural strength nature) and potential progression and
severity of tunnelling when it has occurred.
The best management option available to mine sites that excavate materials
susceptible to tunnelling is to avoid the problem, by ensuring that those materials
are not exposed to ponded runoff or through drainage. Therefore, the
importance of early diagnosis of potential tunnelling problems and adoption of
strategies to prevent such long-term instability is essential for successful mine
closure.
Rehabilitation
The Closure Plan should demonstrate that closure planning is being carried out
to optimise rehabilitation outcomes, consistent with the proposed post-mining
land use. This will include:
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and
establishing
A full list of species for the impacted area and associated communities.
Clear delineation of communities, including species whose presence /
absence or variation in abundance defines each community.
The appropriate spatial scale at which to assess communities.
The range of variation for species richness and cover that can be
expected.
The relative abundance of the most important species in each community.
Post-rehabilitation monitoring to inform operators of the level of success in
re-establishing appropriate plant communities and to assist in the
refinement of rehabilitation procedures.
Topsoil
Soil seedbanks have many advantages as sources of material for rehabilitation,
they are species rich, genetically representative of original populations, and may
be relatively easy to manage if standards (see below) are adhered to. Topsoil is
therefore a vital and highly effective medium for restoring terrestrial ecosystems
in WA. Research has demonstrated that the following key standards are critical
for effective use of topsoil to maximise soil seedbank retention, seedling
germination and seedling establishment:
Stripping: seeds of native species mostly reside in the top 10cm. Thus
stripping should focus on retrieving this layer to a maximum depth of 20cm
(due to technical limitations).
Timing of stripping: always strip dry soil and ensure soil remains dry at all
times including transfer, storage and replacement phases.
Topsoil storage: dry topsoil piles can be maintained with effective
biodiverse capability in windrows or bins with height likely to be
substantially higher than 2m based based on emerging research. Covering
(tarping) topsoil to retain it in a dry state is critical otherwise wetting will
66
Growth Medium
For most mine sites there will be a deficit in growing medium that will need to be
met by investigating the use of waste mine materials to support plant
establishment. Plant growth and function is therefore an appropriate indicator of
potential long-term sustainability of rehabilitation sites. The growing medium for
rehabilitated sites should reflect the functional nature of the pre-mined landscape
and provide:
Seasonal groundwater dynamics allowing for comparable plant water use
and acquisition strategies with pre-mined systems.
Comparable plant nutrition potential with pre-mined systems and include
chemical attributes that are: non-toxic; non-acid producing; non-saline;
non-sodic; and of suitable pH.
Comparable structural attributes with pre-mined systems ensuring
environmental stability and non-hostility for plant growth characterised by:
low erosion potential; suitable air filled porosity; suitable bulk density and
being non-dispersive.
Seed Collection and use standards
For areas where topsoil does not or is not capable of returning the stipulated
level of biodiversity, the reliance on seed to achieve targets is increased. The
seed supply chain (Figure H.3) provides the key steps that are critical for
considering how wild seed is sourced and utilized correctly. However, for most
regions, information on site and species-specific requirements is not available.
Procedures to optimize seed resources should focus on those below
(summarised also in Figures H.4):
Collection and Storage
Figure H.3: The seed supply chain outlining the key steps that are critical for
considering how wild seed is sourced correctly, quality assured, cleaned and
stored in a suitable seedbank environment and exits the seedbank in a state
suitable for germination
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69
Figure I.1 below shows the allocation of domains for a typical mine layout:
70
71
72
The Guidelines for miners: preparation of a mining lease proposal or mining and
rehabilitation program (MARP) in South Australia (January 2011) produced by
the Primary Industries and Resources South Australia (PIRSA), provides one
methodology for qualitative risk assessment (Appendix 5A) and some closure
risks that should be considered, including:
financial
sudden closure due to market changes
poor management of rehabilitation activities
experimental or novel rehabilitation techniques
ongoing maintenance requirements for protective structures
unexpected or unusual climatic conditions
changes in legislative requirements or community expectations (if the mine
has a long life)
changes to surrounding land use
inadequate understanding of the existing environment and the impacts of
the operations
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Closure
Objectives
All waste
dumps and
Tailings
Storage
Facilities (TSF)
are stable and
complimentary
to surrounding
land use
Topography
and surface
drainage are
consistent with,
and
complimentary
to the overall
landscape.
Indicative Completion
Criteria
Concept level
engineering designs
and specifications for
final landforms that will
not be prone to
slumping, mass
movement or significant
erosion
Completion Criteria
Measurement Tools
Audit of constructed
landforms for
compliance with design
specifications/required
standards
Concept level
engineering designs
and specifications for
surface water and
drainage which are
compatible with the
surrounding landscape
and proposed land use.
Meeting relevant
Australian Standards
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Indicative Completion
Criteria
Vegetation composition
on the rehabilitated site
is representative of the
target ecosystem in
species
diversity/diversity and
vegetation structure.
Completion Criteria
Measurement Tools
Quantitative vegetation
monitoring using
recognised standard
techniques acceptable to
regulators. .
Audit of rehabilitation
records for sources of
plant materials used in
rehabilitation.
The
rehabilitated
ecosystem has
equivalent
functions and
resilience as
the target
ecosystem.
Soil properties
are appropriate
to support the
target
ecosystem
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Indicative Completion
Criteria
Concept level
engineering designs
and specifications for
waste rock dumps
(and/or TSFs) to ensure
suitable placement and
encapsulation of AMD
materials.
Concept level
engineering designs
and specifications for
landforms containing
AMD materials to limit
rainfall and, oxygen
ingress.
Surface water and
groundwater quality
down-hydraulic gradient
of the contained AMD
materials will not
exceed baseline water
quality conditions, or
acceptable water
quality guidelines
Completion Criteria
Measurement Tools
Audit of constructed
landform showing
compliance with design
specifications/required
standards, and asconstructed report
showing where AMD
materials are located,
the amount of lime
added to base and/or
sides, depth of non-acid
or metalliferous forming
waste rock on top of and
surrounding cells)
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