Relinquishment of Closed Mine Sites: Policy steps for governments

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the process of mine relinquishment—the legal transfer of responsibility for a closed mine site from the operator to a government or new landowner. It identifies a global gap in clear relinquishment policies and proposes a six-step framework to help governments manage residual risks and ensure sustainable post-mining land use.

• Relinquishment is defined as the legal transfer of responsibility for a closed mine site from the operator to the government or next landowner, occurring only after all closure commitments are fulfilled, approved by the regulator, and funding for residual risk is ideally established.
• A global scan of over 40 countries and jurisdictions reveals that very few provide clear and achievable relinquishment processes, and many do not mention relinquishment in their mining or closure policies at all.
• Saskatchewan, Canada, is highlighted as having one of the best-developed processes via its Institutional Control Program (ICP), which includes a registry and two separate funds: a Monitoring and Maintenance Fund for expected costs and an Unforeseen Events Fund for unexpected occurrences.
• Queensland, Australia, requires the surrender of an Environmental Authority for relinquishment, which involves a residual risk assessment and a payment to cover potential costs for managing the environment after surrender.
• Chile's Law 20551 requires mine closure plans to include monitoring and control measures supported by risk assessments and the establishment of a fund managed by an independent financial institution, though as of June 2023, no mines have transitioned to relinquishment under this law.
• The report recommends a six-step pathway to relinquishment: 1) requiring comprehensive closure plans; 2) completing independent inspections/audits; 3) requiring a residual risk monitoring and management plan; 4) establishing a funding mechanism; 5) executing the legal transfer; and 6) implementing the monitoring and management plan.

APA

Stevens, R. (2023). Relinquishment of Closed Mine Sites: Policy steps for governments. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-09/relinquishment-closed-mines-policy-steps-for-governments-en.pdf

Chicago

Stevens, Rob. Relinquishment of Closed Mine Sites: Policy steps for governments. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2023. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-09/relinquishment-closed-mines-policy-steps-for-governments-en.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Stevens |first1=Rob |title=Relinquishment of Closed Mine Sites: Policy steps for governments |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=September 2023 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-09/relinquishment-closed-mines-policy-steps-for-governments-en.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stevens2023relinquishment, author = {Stevens, Rob}, title = {{Relinquishment of Closed Mine Sites: Policy steps for governments}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2023}, month = sep, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-09/relinquishment-closed-mines-policy-steps-for-governments-en.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }