CASE STUDIES AND DECISION MAKING PROCESS …

1 case STUDIES AND DECISION MAKING PROCESS FOR THE RELINQUISHMENT OF CLOSED MINE SITES Prepared for: NATIONAL ORPHANED/ABANDONED mines INITIATIVE By Cowan, Mackasey and John Robertson Cowan Minerals Ltd. Sudbury, Ontario July 2013 i case STUDIES AND DECISION MAKING PROCESS FOR THE RELINQUISHMENT OF CLOSED MINE SITES TABLE OF CONTENTS iv EXECUTIVE SUMMARY/SOMMAIRE ..v RELINQUISHMENT.

2 2 Introduction ..2 The role of tenure ..2 case STUDIES ..3 Introduction ..3 Quebec Lithium Mine, Quebec Introduction ..5 Background ..5 Tenure ..7 Closure ..7 Application for Certificate of Release ..9 Discussion ..12 Renabie Mine, Ontario Introduction ..13 Background.

3 13 Tenure ..14 Mine Closure ..14 Applicable Legislation ..16 Discussion ..18 Conclusion ..18 Polaris Mine - Nunavut Introduction ..19 Background ..19 Tenure.

4 20 Permits and Approvals ..20 Consultation and Transparency ..20 Mine Closure ..21 Post Closure Monitoring and Maintenance ..21 Financial Assurance ..22 Discussion ..22 Conclusion.

5 22 ii Gregg River Coal Mine, Alberta Introduction ..23 Background ..23 Post-Mining Consultation and Land Use Planning ..24 Decommissioning and Reclamation Requirements ..25 Decommissioning and Reclamation ..26 Financial Assurance ..27 Reclamation Certificate.

6 27 Reclamation Mine Site Liability ..29 Plant Site Liability ..31 Contamination Gregg River Mine Challenges ..31 Discussion ..32 Contact Lake Gold Mine, Saskatchewan Introduction ..34 Background ..34 Tenure ..35 Pre-Production Permits and Approvals.

7 35 Mine Closure ..36 Post Closure Monitoring and Maintenance ..38 Release from Decommissioning and Reclamation Requirements ..38 Site Relinquishment ..39 Introduction ..39 Financial Assurance and Funding ..40 Institutional Control Registry ..41 Indemnification.

8 41 Consultation and Transparency ..41 Discussion ..42 Conclusions ..42 Farley East Tailings Management Area, Manitoba Introduction ..43 Background ..43 Tenure ..45 Human Health and Environmental Risk Assessment for Lynn Lake ..46 Mine Closure ..47 First Nation/Town of Lynn Lake Involvement (Stakeholders).

9 50 Viridian/Manitoba Partnership ..51 Release from Liability ..52 Transparency ..52 Discussion ..52 Conclusion ..53 LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE case STUDIES ..54 iii DECISION MAKING PROCESS FOR RELINQUISHMENT Introduction ..56 PROCESS Technical ..58 Cognitive.

10 58 Interpersonal ..59 Creating a DECISION MAKING PROCESS ..60 Five-Step DECISION MAKING PROCESS for Relinquishment ..60 Step 1 - Submitting the application ..63 Step 2 - Site Assessment ..65 Step 3 The Long-Term ..67 Step 4 Funding ..69 Step 5 - Implementation ..72 Application to case STUDIES ..72 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS ..75 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ..77 SELECTED REFERENCES ..78 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1 Location of 6 case study projects ..4 Figure 2 Typical cross section showing stopes.