Renonciation de sites miniers fermés : Mesures politiques pour les gouvernements

The document defines mine relinquishment as the legal transfer of responsibility for a closed mine site once closure obligations are met. It argues that a lack of clear relinquishment policies leads to sites remaining indefinitely with operators or being abandoned. The report analyzes practices across 40+ jurisdictions, highlighting successful models in Saskatchewan, Queensland, and Chile. It proposes a six-step process: requiring comprehensive closure plans, conducting independent inspections, planning for residual risk management, establishing 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 the next landowner, occurring only after all closure commitments are fulfilled and approved by the regulator.
• A global review of over 40 jurisdictions reveals that very few provide clear and achievable processes for relinquishment, and many do not mention it at all in their mining or closure policies.
• Saskatchewan's Institutional Control Program (ICP), established in 2007, is cited as one of the best-developed processes, featuring a post-closure monitoring period (typically 10+ years) and a funding mechanism for future monitoring and unforeseen events.
• Queensland uses a process involving the surrender of an environmental authority, requiring a residual risk assessment and a payment to cover potential post-surrender environmental management costs.
• Chile's Law 20551 (2011) requires closure plans to include post-closure monitoring and costs based on risk assessments, and mandates a non-refundable contribution to a fund managed by an independent financial institution.
• Residual risk is categorized into two types: known costs for monitoring and maintenance to ensure closure objectives are met, and unknown future risks identified through monitoring or unexpected events.
• The report identifies a significant gap in legal procedures for transferring responsibility, noting that even in jurisdictions like British Columbia, the lack of guidance documents makes relinquishment difficult to achieve.
• The document recommends a six-step policy framework for governments: 1) requiring comprehensive closure plans, 2) independent inspection and approval, 3) residual risk management planning, 4) establishing a funding mechanism, 5) legal transfer of the site, and 6) implementation of the monitoring plan.
• Proposed funding options for post-closure management include maintaining financial assurance, third-party management, pooled funds (where risk is shared across multiple sites), or transferring site responsibility to a new commercial operator.

APA

Stevens, R. (2023). Renonciation de sites miniers fermés : Mesures politiques pour les gouvernements. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-09/relinquishment-closed-mines-policy-steps-for-governments-fr.pdf

Chicago

Stevens, Rob. Renonciation de sites miniers fermés : Mesures politiques pour les gouvernements. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2023. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-09/relinquishment-closed-mines-policy-steps-for-governments-fr.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Stevens |first1=Rob |title=Renonciation de sites miniers fermés : Mesures politiques pour les gouvernements |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-fr.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stevens2023renonciation, author = {Stevens, Rob}, title = {{Renonciation de sites miniers fermés : Mesures politiques pour les gouvernements}}, 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-fr.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }