Contents of a Closure Management Plan

Tommi Kauppila, Geological Survey of Finland, PO Box 1237, 70211 Kuopio, Finland; tommi.kauppila(at)gtk.fi

The Closure Management Plan is an evolving document that develops from what in the early phases of the project is mainly a conceptual plan into a fully detailed closure plan closer to the end of the mining operations. As the level of detail increases, more information and sections are incorporated in the plan. A general outline of typical sections in a CMP is given below (adapted from various sources and amended ).

  • Contextual information
    • Purpose, scope and status of the plan
    • Site operator (especially for official CMP documents)
    • Site characteristics
    • Legal obligations
  • Closure management
  • Target outcomes of closure (objectives)
  • Action plans
    • How the individual objectives will be achieved
      • Which issues need to be addressed to achieve the goal
    • For each closure issue:
      • Actions, timing, responsibilities, resources, costs
    • Monitoring of success
  • Costs of closure and financial arrangements
    • Full costs of closure (estimate, incl. variation)
    • Estimated cost schedule
    • Financial arrangements, reference to surety
  • Post closure management plan
    • May be one section of the Action Plan or a separate plan
  • Annexes
    • Detailed plans for the actions listed in the Action Plan
    • Reports etc. of the completed actions

Various sources include guidance on the contents of a CMP, including Government of Western Australia (2011), Sánchez et al. (2014), and ICMM (2008). A detailed Annotated Outline for Reclamation and Closure Plan can be found in Yukon Water Board & Yukon Energy, Mines, and Resources (2013).

References

Government of Western Australia 2011. Guidelines for Preparing Mine Closure Plans. Government of Western Australia, Department of Mines and Petroleum & Environmental Protection Agency 2011. 78 p. http://www.dmp.wa.gov.au/documents/Mine_Closure%282%29.pdf.

Sánchez, L.E.; Silva-Sánchez, S.S.; Neri, A.C. Guide for Mine Closure Planning. IBRAM Brazilian Mining Organization, Brasília, 2014 http://www.ibram.org.br/sites/1300/1382/00004552.pdf

ICMM 2008. Planning for Integrated Mine Closure: Toolkit. International Council on Mining and Metals, London, UK. 84 p.

Yukon Water Board & Yukon Energy, Mines, and Resources 2013. Reclamation and Closure Planning for Quartz Mining Projects. Plan requirements and closure costing guidance. 41 p. http://www.emr.gov.yk.ca/mining/pdf/mml_reclamation_closure_planning_quartz_mining_projects_aug2013.pdf