Mine closure is as much a part of planning for modern mine operations as the feasibility study prior to start-up. In fact, it is usually an integral part of the feasibility study itself, and in most cases, is most effective when incorporated at the earliest possible stage.
This is the time when the project has the greatest degrees of freedom to place facilities in locations where they will be easiest to decommission and rehabilitate.
Careful consideration of closure approaches and objectives, regardless of how conceptual they might be during early design phases, could significantly affect design criteria in ways that the design team would not otherwise consider.
