Key Criteria for the Effective Long-term Stewardship of Closed, Orphaned/Abandoned Mine and ...

69 Pages·2015·1.07 MB·English

Key Criteria for the Effective Long-term

Stewardship of Closed, Orphaned/Abandoned
Mine and Mineral Exploration Sites

Prepared for the:

National Orphaned/Abandoned
Mines Initiative

Prepared by:

Kingsmere Resource Services Inc.
Suite #2, 1235 Central Ave.
Box 1475
Prince Albert, SK
S6V 5T1

March 2015
DISCLAIMER
The purpose of this document is to provide the reader with key criteria to assess closed,
orphaned/abandoned mine and exploration sites in Canada in order to evaluate their condition in
terms of physical and chemical stability, public health and safety hazards, and potential ecological
risks and provide a foundation of information for the planning and delivery of effective long-term
stewardship of such sites.
The information and definitions provided in this document are based on the experience and opinions
of the author, and should not be construed as endorsement in whole or in part by various reviewers or
by the participants in the National Orphaned/Abandoned Mines Initiative (NOAMI).
The reader of this report should assume full responsibility for any action taken as a result of the
information contained in this document. The author, the members of the National
Orphaned/Abandoned Mines Advisory Committee and Task Forces, and Natural Resources Canada
(through the National Orphaned/Abandoned Mines Initiative) make no warranty of any kind with
respect to the content and accept no liability, either incidental, consequential, financial or otherwise
arising from the use of this publication.
NOAMI Key Criteria Page 3
Executive Summary
Kingsmere Resource Services Inc. was retained by the NOAMI Secretariat to prepare a report
discussing key criteria for the assessment of closed, orphaned/abandoned mine and mineral
exploration sites in Canada in order to:
• Evaluate their condition in terms of:
Physical stability;
o
Chemical stability;
o
Public health and safety risks;
o
Ecological risks; and,
o
Risk to ecosystem services.
o
• Provide a foundation of information for the planning and delivery of effective long-term
stewardship of such sites.
The criteria are designed, to the extent possible, to be field functional for application by a wide range
of users such as government agencies, Aboriginal organizations, non-governmental organizations
(NGOs), communities and the general public (Users) to allow each to arrive at an informed opinion
regarding a site’s condition, to provide a preliminary assessment of the level of risk posed by a
particular hazard and to assess the need for further remediation to reduce the risk and ensure the
effective long-term stewardship of the site.
The report provides a summary of pre-site visit activities that must be undertaken including the need
to assemble and review all available historical and current information that is available for a site and
the ecosystem in which it is located, the preparation of a site-visit safety plan and field equipment
requirements.
The report also provides a list (including a sample “Field Report Form”) of potential site aspects
present at a wide range of site types designed to aid the User in identifying, documenting, and
evaluating the potential hazards at a particular site, including those that may pose a risk to public
health and safety, the environment, ecosystem services and future land use.
In developing the criteria, it became evident that in order to achieve the goal of providing “effective
long-term stewardship” of closed and/or orphaned/abandoned mine or exploration sites in Canada,
the development of key criteria to evaluate individual sites is only the first step. As a result, the
criteria include a brief discussion of a series of tools that can be used to assess the level of risk posed
by the hazards identified at a particular site, a discussion of setting remediation objectives or
“endpoints”, the need for stakeholder involvement at all stages and the eventual need for a long-term
management plan. All of these aspects are considered integral to ensure the desired goal of effective,
long-term stewardship of closed and/or orphaned/abandoned mine and mineral exploration sites in
Canada.
March 2015
NOAMI Key Criteria Page 4
Sommaire

Le Secrétariat de l’INMOA a retenu les services de Kingsmere Resource Services Inc. pour préparer
des critères pour l’évaluation des sites miniers fermés, orphelins ou abandonnés et d’explorations
minières au Canada dans le but suivant :
• Évaluer leur état en termes des facteurs suivants :
stabilité physique;
o
stabilité chimique;
o
risques pour la santé et la sécurité publique;
o
risques écologiques;
o
risque pour les services écosystémiques.
o
• Fournir une base d’information pour la planification et la réalisation d’une intendance
efficace à long terme de telles sites.
Les critères sont conçus dans la mesure du possible pour être utilisables sur le terrain par un large
éventail d’intervenants, dont les organismes gouvernementaux, les organisations autochtones, les
ONG, les collectivités et le grand public (utilisateurs). Chacun pourra ainsi se former une opinion
éclairée sur l’état d’un site donné, présenter une évaluation préliminaire du niveau de risque posé par
un danger particulier et évaluer la nécessité de poursuivre les travaux d’assainissement afin de
réduire le risque et d’assurer la gestion efficace à long terme du site.
Ce report présent un résumé des activités requises avant la visite d’un site, y compris la nécessité de
colliger et d’examiner toutes les informations historiques et actuelles disponibles sur le site et
l’écosystème dans lequel il se trouve, de préparer un plan de sécurité pour la visite du site, et de
déterminer l’équipement requis sur le terrain.
Le report comport également une liste (dont un exemple de formulaire « Rapport de travaux sur le
terrain ») des caractéristiques que l’on peut retrouver dans un large éventail de types de sites, afin
d’aider les intervenants à déterminer, documenter et évaluer les risques potentiels pour un site
particulier, y compris ceux qui peuvent présenter un risque pour la santé publique et la sécurité,
l’environnement, les services écosystémiques et l’utilisation future des terres.
Lors de l’élaboration des critères, il est devenu évident que pour atteindre l’objectif d’assurer une
« intendance efficace à long terme » des sites miniers fermés, orphelins ou abandonnés, ou
d’explorations au Canada, l’élaboration de critères pour évaluer les sites individuels n’est que la
première étape. Par conséquent, les critères provisoires comportent une brève description de la
gamme d’outils utilisables pour évaluer le niveau de risque posé par les dangers constatés sur un site
particulier, et traite de l’établissement d’objectifs ou de « points d’aboutissement » pour les travaux
d’assainissement, de la nécessité de faire participer les intervenants à tous les stades et du besoin
éventuel d’établir un plan de gestion à long terme. Tous ces aspects concourent au même objectif
souhaité : assurer l’intendance efficace et à long terme des sites miniers fermés, orphelins ou
abandonnés, et d’explorations minières au Canada.

March 2015
NOAMI Key Criteria Page 5

Table of Contents

Glossary ............................................................................................................................. 7
1 Introduction ................................................................................................................ 12
2 Objective ..................................................................................................................... 13
2.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 13
2.2 Defining Risk (In the Context of this Report) .................................................................... 13
2.2.1 Does the site pose a ‘risk’? ................................................................................................... 14
2.2.2 What is the ‘significance’ of the identified risk? ..................................................................... 15
2.3 Linking Significance of ‘Identified Risk’ with the ‘Need for Remediation’ .......................... 18
3 Pre-Inspection Site Research ................................................................................... 19
3.1 Purpose ........................................................................................................................... 19
3.2 Information Needs ........................................................................................................... 19
3.3 Sources of Information .................................................................................................... 22
4 Site Inspection and Field Report .............................................................................. 23
4.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 23
4.2 Planning .......................................................................................................................... 23
4.2.1 Site Visit Safety Plan ............................................................................................................. 23
4.2.2 Field Equipment .................................................................................................................... 24
4.3 Initial Assessment of Site................................................................................................. 25
4.4 Uncertainties ................................................................................................................... 30
4.4.1 Identified Site Hazards .......................................................................................................... 30
4.4.2 Unidentified Site Hazards ...................................................................................................... 32
5 Post-Site Visit Analysis ............................................................................................. 33
5.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 33
5.2 Assessing the Identified Risks ......................................................................................... 33
5.2.1 Public Safety Risks ................................................................................................................ 33
5.2.2 Environmental Risks .............................................................................................................. 34
5.2.3 Ecological Risk Assessment ................................................................................................. 37
5.2.4 Human Health Risk Assessment ........................................................................................... 37
6 Remediation Considerations .................................................................................... 39
6.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 39
6.2 Remediation Objectives or “Endpoints”............................................................................ 41
6.2.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 41
6.2.2 Establishing Remediation Objectives and Endpoints ............................................................ 41
6.2.3 Stakeholder Involvement ....................................................................................................... 42
6.3 Assessing Liabilities ........................................................................................................ 43
6.4 Passive Remediation Strategies ...................................................................................... 43
7 Long-Term Stewardship ............................................................................................ 44
7.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 44
7.2 Long-Term Institutional Control ....................................................................................... 44
7.2.1 Costs of Institutional Control ................................................................................................. 45
7.2.2 Unanticipated Future Costs ................................................................................................... 45
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8 Conclusion ................................................................................................................. 46
9 References .................................................................................................................. 47

List of Tables

Table 1: Pre-Investigation Data ..................................................................................................... 20
Table 2: Site Investigation Aspects ................................................................................................ 26

List of Figures
Figure 1: Achieving Long-Term Stewardship ................................................................................. 40

APPENDIX A Sample Field Report Form

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NOAMI Key Criteria Page 7
Glossary
During the research completed to support the development of the criteria, a review was conducted of
mineral exploration, mine closure and closed mine management frameworks in various jurisdictions.
It became clear from that review that a clear and concise definition of the applicable terms was
necessary in order to ensure clarity in the discussion and to make certain, to the extent possible, a
consistent understanding of the proposed criteria and their implications.
Definitions of the terms used in this report are as follows:

Term Definition
Abandoned Site A site at which the operator has rejected custodial responsibility for
decommissioning and/or on-going remediation or reclamation. This can be
voluntary, or involuntary as in the case of bankruptcy.
Adit A horizontal or nearly horizontal entrance to an underground mine usually
driven into the side of a hill or rock outcrop where local topography allows.
ARD (Acid Rock Base metal, precious metal and uranium mines contain sulphide minerals,
Drainage) either in the ore or the surrounding waste rock. When these sulphide
minerals, particularly pyrite and pyrrhotite, are exposed to oxygen and
water, a process of conversion of sulphide to sulphate takes place. Water in
contact with these oxidizing minerals is made acidic, and in the absence of
calcareous materials, such as calcite, the acidic water carries with it toxic
metals and elevated levels of dissolved salts. As the reactions proceed,
temperature and acidity increase, resulting in an increased rate of reaction.
Rainfall and snowmelt flush the toxic solutions from the waste sites into the
downstream environment. If acidic drainage is left uncollected and
untreated, the drainage can contaminate groundwater and local water
courses, damaging the health of plants, wildlife, and fish.
(Source: The Mine Environment Neutral Drainage (MEND) Program, D.G.
Feasby, M. Blanchette, G. Tremblay. In: Proceedings of the 2nd
International Conference on the Abatement of Acidic Drainage, Montreal,
Canada, September 16-18, 1992.
Catastrophic Failure A sudden failure without warning (E.g. crown pillar collapse, dam failure,
large scale slope slip [slide], etc.), as opposed to a degradation failure
Climate Change Refers to any significant change in the measures of climate lasting for an
extended period of time. Climate change includes major changes in
temperature, precipitation, or wind patterns, among other effects that occur
over several decades or longer. (Source: U.S. EPA)
Closed Site A site at which all decommissioning, remediation and reclamation measures
and transition phase monitoring have been completed to the satisfaction of
an institution willing to accept custodial responsibility.
COPC Constituents of potential concern or contaminants of potential concern.
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Term Definition
Critical Habitat Areas with high biodiversity and/or ecological value, including, but not
necessarily limited to: habitat of significant importance to Critically
Endangered and/or Endangered species; habitat of significant importance to
endemic and/or restricted-range species; habitat supporting globally
significant concentrations of migratory species and/or congregatory species;
highly threatened and/or unique ecosystems; and/or areas associated with
key evolutionary processes.
Crown Pillar A rock mass of variable geometry that is situated above the uppermost
underground workings of a mine and that serves to ensure permanently or
temporarily the stability of surface elements and underground workings.
Decline A gently sloping tunnel that can be used to drive mobile equipment into and
out of the underground mine. Generally, declines are spiral tunnels which
circles either the flank of the deposit or circles around the deposit. The
decline begins with a box cut, which is the portal to the surface.
Decommissioning The activity of disassembling, dismantling, disposal, removal or otherwise
addressing all infrastructures associated with a project or site.
Degradation Failure The failure of an aspect over time due to such things as the effects of time,
metal fatigue, incremental erosion, etc. Degradation failures, if left
unaddressed, can increase the potential of catastrophic failure.
Development (Waste) Environmentally benign rock removed during the development of the mine
Rock and stored on surface. Often referred to as “waste” rock.
Dike (dyke) An embankment constructed to contain wastes (as in mill tailings),
contaminated materials (water), to divert flows or to prevent flooding. In the
case of mill tailings, containment dikes can be constructed of locally
available till material, waste rock, tailings or a combination of each.
Disturbed Land Land that has been disturbed by human activities to the extent that there is a
material difference in the physical, chemical or biological characteristics of
the disturbed land. Disturbances can either improve or impair future land use
options. Cleared land, re-graded land, waste rock piles, land affected by a
surface or groundwater contaminant plume, etc. are examples of disturbed
lands.
Ecosystem Services The benefits that people obtain from ecosystems, and include provisioning
services (such as food, fiber, fresh water, fuel wood, medicinal, biochemical,
and genetic resources); regulating services (such as climate regulation,
disease regulation, water regulation, water purification, degradation of
pollutants, carbon sequestration and storage, nutrient cycling); and cultural
services (spiritual and religious aspects, recreation and ecotourism,
aesthetics, inspiration, educational values, sense of place, cultural heritage).
Endowment for A financial instrument identified or established to cover the costs of any
Residual Care surveillance, monitoring and/or maintenance required of the post-transfer
custodian. In certain instances these costs may extend over a very long time
period.
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Term Definition
Engineered Structure A constructed facility or structure (i.e. building, dyke, overflow channel,
concrete shaft cap, etc.) for which engineered plans or drawings (including
“As-built” reports) are available and include the appropriate accreditation of
the author.
Exploration Site A site at which activities have been carried out to search for, discover or
delineate a mineral deposit in order to establish its potential economic value
and to justify further work. Typically, on site exploration activities may have
included prospecting, mapping and remote sensing, surface sampling,
drilling (diamond, reverse circulation, etc.), and/or rock work including
trenching or bulk sampling, etc.
Guidelines Recommended, non-mandatory controls that serve as a reference when no
applicable standards are in place.
Hazard A source of potential harm, or a situation with a potential for causing harm,
in terms of human injury, damage to health, property, the environment and
other things of value; or some combination of these.(Source: Risk
Management: Guideline for Decision Makers, CAN/CSA-Q850-97
(Reaffirmed 2009), Canadian Standards Association, 2009)
Institutional Controls Actions, mechanisms and arrangements implemented to maintain control or
knowledge of a closed site after custodial transfer. This control may be
active (e.g. by means of monitoring, surveillance, remedial work, fences,
etc.) or passive (e.g. land use restrictions, markers, records, etc.). Activities
undertaken by the post-transfer custodian can range from the simple act of
permanently recording the location of a remediated site; to conducting
regular inspections that may or may not include active measurements and
the collection of samples for analysis; all the way to maintenance of certain
aspects of the property.
Legacy Site An orphaned and/or abandoned site which contains residual hazards to
safety and/or the environment or ecosystem services.
Long-term 100 years or more.
Manufactured A constructed facility or structure (i.e. building, dyke, overflow channel,
Structure concrete shaft cap, etc.) for which no engineered plans or drawings
(including “As-built” reports) are available.
Mine Site A previously active mining area, including all land used in or resulting from
the work of extracting minerals from their natural deposits or the secondary
recovery of ore from refuse or other storage piles, wastes, or mill tailings by
any means or method and all works engines, machinery, plant, buildings,
residual material (i.e. mill tailings, spent heap lease material, etc.), waste
rock and waste management facilities associated with that activity.
Mineralized (Waste) Development (waste) rock which has the potential to release hazardous
Rock and/or nuclear substances that could have a significant adverse effect on
human health or be deleterious to the environment. Mineralized waste rock
may be further segregated based on radiological content, contaminants of
concern (e.g., nickel, arsenic), and ARD or acid generating potential.
Mineralized waste rock is often referred to as special waste rock.
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NOAMI Key Criteria Page 10
Term Definition
NGO (Non-Government An organization that is not part of government (although it may receive
Organization) funds from government) or a conventional for-profit business usually
composed of citizens concerned about a specific set of activities or
conditions.
Objectives Non-statutory limits used to guide decisions. (Example: Environment
Canada – “Water quality objectives specify the concentrations of substances
permissible for all intended water uses at a specific location on a lake, river,
or estuary. The objectives are based on the water quality guidelines for the
uses at that location, as well as on public input and socio-economic
considerations.”)
Orphaned Site A site for which a responsible party (custodian) within the private sector can
no longer be located or does not exist.
Raise A vertical or inclined excavation in an underground mine that leads from
one level, or drift, to another or from one drift or level to surface (i.e. vent
raise).
Reclamation Actions intended to return the land surface to an equivalent undisturbed
condition. Reclaimed land has achieved the desired condition.
Rehabilitation The process of reshaping and re-vegetating land to restore it to a stable
condition with a land-use that is appropriate for the particular location.
Remediation Action taken to remove/reduce a hazard and improve safety or to remove,
isolate or reduce pollution or contaminants from environmental media such
as soil, groundwater, sediment, or surface water.
Risk The chance of injury or loss as defined as a measure of the probability and
severity of an adverse effect to health, property, the environment or other
things of value. (Source: Risk Management: Guideline for Decision Makers,
CAN/CSA-Q850-97 (Reaffirmed 2009), Canadian Standards Association,
2009)
Shaft A vertical excavation adjacent to an ore body equipped with a hoist. A shaft
is generally used when ground conditions, ground water, ventilation or other
worker safety conditions warrant or when haulage to surface via truck is not
economical.
Slumping (Sluffing) Slope (rock) movement that occurs when a coherent mass of loosely
consolidated materials or rock layers moves a short distance down a slope
typically as a mass and under the force of gravity.
Species at Risk An extirpated, endangered, threatened species, or a species of special
concern as defined by the federal Species at Risk Act (SARA) and/or by the
Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC).
SRPR Species at Risk Public Registry
March 2015