Singleton hosted the first international summit on derelict mines

Delegates from around the the world’s mining powerhouses along with academics and regulators  spent two days discussing the best ways to rehabilitate and remediate former mining sites.

They also discussed best practice in today’s mining environment where statutory regulations are far more stringent than when many of those thousands of derelict sites were first created. 

Several industry speakers impressed on the delegates the need to start planning for the rehabilitation work before the first sod of soil is turned on a mine site.

In fact mining company environmental engineers said the best outcomes were now occurring when mine closure plans were adopted at the same time as mine operational plans.

The summit was organised by Newcastle University based CRC Care best known for its work in the contamination and remediation industries.

Its managing director Professor Ravi Naidu said the summit showed derelict or as he preferred to describe them as legacy mine sites are a global problem.

‘We have to focus on rehabilitation and remediation of these sites and realise they can never be taken back to their original state,” he said.

“That may sound like bad news but it may not if the sites become, post-mining, vibrant communities or capable of supporting other economically viable industries.

“Changing the landscape on a risk based assessment will give society a more positive outcome from these sites.”

Mention was made of the transformation of the former open cut brown coal mines in Germany and the Eden Project in Cornwall in England.

Prof. Naidu said it was necessary to look at the risks posed by legacy sites – that includes risks to the  environment, humans and the flora and fauna.

“We have to find end uses for these sites that are acceptable to the local communities where they exist,” he said.

He suggested dealing with the past will help us deal better with the future as a number of speakers noted how earlier industry attitudes and government regulations lead us to some very poor post-mining outcomes not only locally but throughout the world.

Prof Naidu said he was keen to see Newcastle University become a global hub for legacy mines and mine closure knowledge and research.

“Linking the best industry research and know how in the world is the best way forward,” he said.

For example he said mining has and continues to create large volumes of waste.

“But if we can use the appropriate technologies to extract all the minerals from the sites then we can cut down the waste in the first place,” he said.

Improved technology can also result in former mine sites being converted to pastures and final voids being used for aquaculture and tourism.

Prof Naidu wanted people to take a more positive view of legacy mines and see their potential but also he wanted the mining industry to be proactive and ensure they absolutely minimise their footprint and impacts on the environment. 

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