Abstract
Best practice mine closure planning and environmental impact assessment (EIA) principles share many common features. This research examined how mine closure planning relates to, and can be integrated with EIA by comparing practice in eight African and Australian jurisdictions. Emphasis was placed on key challenges and opportunities associated with: institutional arrangements for mine closure planning; financial mechanisms for mine site closure and rehabilitation including abandoned/legacy mine sites; transparency of mine closure planning and financing provisions; and regulation of artisanal and small-scale mining activity. Data were gathered through document analysis, interviews and interactions with practitioners from Western Australia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia. Issues associated with mine closure planning and rehabilitation under existing arrangements and opportunities for improvement through existing EIA processes already in place in each jurisdiction are explored. All eight jurisdictions have appropriate regulatory provisions in place already, but implementation capacity remains a challenge. Opportunities for effective practice lie in using mine closure planning and EIA measures in an integrated fashion, avoiding duplication and enabling synergies in management to be realised.
Highlights
Effective mine closure planning and environmental impact assessment (EIA) alike are essential practices well established in international practice that attempt to ensure that mining activities meet sustainable development expectations
2.1 International mine closure planning principles and EIA Internationally there is a well-established expectation by industry, financiers, and practitioners alike that mine closure planning should be an intrinsic element of the entire life cycle of mining from initial project design to assessment for mining approval purposes; continuing through implementation, decommissioning, and final rehabilitation and closure (e.g. (Sweeting and Clark 2000; Mining Minerals and Sustainable Development (MMSD), 2002; International Finance Corporation, 2007; International Council on Mining & Metals (ICMM), 2008)
Our key focus in this paper was to understand the relationships between mine closure planning and EIA using eight jurisdictions from Australia and Africa as our focus
Summary
Effective mine closure planning and environmental impact assessment (EIA) alike are essential practices well established in international practice that attempt to ensure that mining activities meet sustainable development expectations. The purpose of the paper is to understand how mine closure planning relates to, and can be integrated with EIA, with specific emphasis on some key challenges and opportunities drawn from practice in African and Australian contexts. Our methodology was based upon document review (i.e. relevant policies, legislation, regulations, and guidance materials primarily) and interviews with key officials from mining and environmental agencies, as well as practitioners or other experts (e.g. academics) in each of the eight jurisdictions. Following a brief account of international principles for mine closure planning and its relationship with EIA, including some focus on Australian and African policy context, we present summary characteristics for provisions within the eight jurisdictions examined.
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