Relinquishment of Closed Mine Sites: Policy steps for governments

The report defines relinquishment as the legal transfer of responsibility for a closed mine site from the operator to the next landowner after closure commitments are fulfilled. It identifies a global gap in clear relinquishment policies, noting that many jurisdictions either lack such frameworks or have processes that are difficult to achieve due to government risk aversion. The document highlights successful models in Saskatchewan, Queensland, and Chile, and proposes a six-step policy framework: requiring comprehensive closure plans, conducting independent inspections, establishing residual risk management plans, creating funding mechanisms, executing legal transfers, and implementing long-term monitoring.

• 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 activities are completed, approved by a regulator, and funding for residual risk is ideally established.
• A global review of over 40 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's Institutional Control Program (ICP), established in 2007, is cited as one of the best-developed processes, utilizing a Registry and two separate funds—a Monitoring and Maintenance Fund and an Unforeseen Events Fund—to manage 30 closed mines as of January 2022.
• In Queensland, Australia, relinquishment is achieved through the surrender of an Environmental Authority, which requires 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 risk assessments and the establishment of a fund managed by an independent financial institution to cover post-closure monitoring and control costs.
• Governments often struggle with relinquishment due to an unwillingness to accept residual risk, which is driven by legacy issues at historical mines, difficulties in costing unknown future risks, and a lack of political will.
• The report recommends a six-step pathway to relinquishment: 1) requiring comprehensive closure plans; 2) completing independent inspections/audits; 3) requiring residual risk monitoring and management plans; 4) establishing funding mechanisms; 5) executing legal transfers; 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} }