Closure and Land Rehabilitation

Closure and Land Rehabilitation

Every advanced exploration and mining project includes a closure plan to restore lands to a natural state upon completion of exploration and mining activities. After various stages of production, buildings are razed, trees and natural grasses planted and wildlife habitats restored. This temporary land use is one of mining 's unique attributes. While new manufacturing plants, highway expansions, housing developments or office towers may permanently take over tracts of greenbelt, farmland or forest, mines are rarely permanent facilities.

The Renabie gold mine northeast of Wawa produced 34,000 kilograms of gold from 1947 to 1991.When it closed, surface facilities were razed and 40,000 trees were planted. Students Native shrubs now cover the tailings and ground water meets provincial quality standards.

Denison Mines Limited and Rio Algom Limited mined uranium in Elliot Lake for nearly 40 years. With 95 percent of uranium removed from the ore; only traces of naturally occurring uranium, thorium and pyrite remain present in the tailings. Tailings are now under permanent water cover to protect the local watershed.