Fact Sheet

3.17 Closure and Reclamation

Fact Sheet:
3.17 Closure and Reclamation

Key Fact
After the useful life of the mine is complete, the Closure and Reclamation plan will ensure the site returns to productive agricultural,
recreational, and other beneficial uses.
The Closure and Reclamation Section outlines

Re-establish the natural flow of water

how the Ajax Project will prepare for agricul-

between Peterson Creek and Jacko Lake.

tural and other land uses once mining has

finished, or if the Project needs to close temporarily. Closure is the time when mining and
ore processing has stopped. If closure is per-

Cover the tailings storage facility and mine

rock storage facilities in a way that supports
wildlife and agriculture.

manent, a part of the process is reclamation,

Establish a holding area to temporar-

which includes removing buildings and equip-

ily store water while it is treated for later

ment, landscaping and planting trees and other

release into the environment.

plants, and restoring natural water flow across

the Project footprint.
Closure and reclamation is regulated by fed-

Key Elements of Closure and

Reclamation

eral, provincial, and local governments, and

To meet the Projects closure and reclamation

includes feedback from the general public,

objectives, KAMs activities will centre around

local residents, Aboriginal groups, and many

four main elements: soil management, reveg-

other stakeholders from the area. The goal of

etation, closure, and monitoring.

reclamation planning is to ensure mining has a

long-term positive environmental legacy.

KGHM Ajax Mining Inc.'s (KAM)

Objectives for Closure and
Reclamation
Return the land to a state that supports
cattle and wildlife.
Return the land to a state that supports

Soil Management:
Soil is important to support revegetation, so
topsoil removed during construction or operations is stored for use during reclamation.
The most eective way of protecting stored soil
from erosion by wind or water is to plant soil
storage areas with grasses and other plants to
keep dust down.

agricultural activities as a priority over other

Overburden is composed of deeper-lying soils

uses.

less suitable for reclamation because of their

Use progressive reclamation strategies

during operations as much as possible.

coarser or harder texture. Overburden can

be used for landscaping such as to create

KGHM Ajax Mining Inc.: Fact Sheet

3.17 Closure and Reclamation

post-mining landforms and to separate

Pipelines, power lines, and other infrastruc-

mine rock or tailings from topsoil at the end of

ture will be dismantled, and materials will

the mine life.

be salvaged or disposed of safely;

Scientists found some places at the site where

Water flows (if previously diverted to avoid

existing soil conditions had levels of metals that

contact with the mine) will be reverted into

exceed guidelines for agricultural or industrial

long-term natural channels and flow pat-

use, due to previous mining (the quality of this

terns; and

soil will be tested again for its suitability before

it is used for reclamation).
Revegetation:
The revegetation process will be progressive,

Once secured and cleaned, the open pit

will be allowed to refill with rainwater and
groundwater.
Closure costs are estimated at $195 million

using grasses and other local plant species

(in 2015 dollars) to close the site. KAMs esti-

as soon as possible, and will be monitored

mate provides a dollar figure for closure and

throughout the mine life and after Project clo-

reclamation activities if the government were

sure to ensure success. Revegetation will:

to undertake them, per the regulatory require-

Support cattle grazing at the site, in line

with the Project areas current use for
agriculture;
Support wildlife habitat comparable to what
was in place before mining began;
Physically stabilize disturbed areas;
Prevent weeds (invasive species) from
taking over the disturbed areas;
Reduce erosion from wind and water,
thereby keeping down dust; and
Provide habitat for self-sustaining ecological communities.
Closure:
Temporary closure is a state when the mine
closes unexpectedly for short periods. In this
case, facilities would be put into a mode called
care and maintenance, in which hazardous
materials are inventoried and stored, equipment is locked down, the site is closed, and

ment. Actual costs would be paid by KAM over

the life of the Project.
The closure workforce is expected to be smaller than the operations workforce. Some of the
workforce is expected to remain employed
to implement decommissioning, closure, and
reclamation activities over the course of the
five-year decommissioning and closure period.
After this period, sta levels would be very low
to intermittent.
Monitoring:
KAM will monitor the environment onsite
throughout the life of the mine. Monitoring
plans are reviewed and updated on a regular
basis over the life of the Project. For closure,
important monitoring includes:
The safety of dams, including underlying
ground stability;
Types and coverage of plants in reclaimed
areas, and plants uptake of minerals;

access is restricted.

Surface water and groundwater; and

Permanent Closure occurs once the mine

Aquatic life in the water bodies downstream

comes to the end of its useful life. The permanent closure process is estimated to take
a total of five years and includes the following
activities:

of the Project.

KGHM Ajax Mining Inc.: Fact Sheet

3.17 Closure and Reclamation

Questions & Answers

How Do We Know What the Site

Will Look Like After Reclamation?
The Ajax Project site includes historic mine
operations that used open pits and mine rock
storage areas. Since the end of previous mining
activities, those facilities have been reclaimed
and revegetated and are now largely indistinguishable from the natural surroundings. This
demonstrates the potential eectiveness of
Project closure and reclamation methods to
return the area to its previous agricultural land
use.

How do We Know it Will be Paid

For?
B.C.s Chief Inspector of Mines requires each
company to demonstrate how it will pay for a
projects closure and reclamation costs before
construction or operations begin. This cost
estimate is updated on a regular basis over
the mine's life to ensure adequate funds are
available to do whatever is needed to return
the area to pre-mine use.

KGHM Ajax Mining Inc.

124 Seymour Street
Kamloops BC, V2C 2E1

tel. (+1) 250 374 5446

fax (+1) 250 374 5443
www.ajaxmine.ca