Mine Reclamation and Closure Planning

Reclamation is ecosystem repair following human activity, and is a critical aspect of sustainable human land use. IEG provides extensive mine reclamation expertise, including:

• Reclamation monitoring and research
• Reclamation and closure planning
• Ecological assessment of mine development and operations
• Integration of research findings to support adaptive management
• The design of site-specific revegetation programs to meet end land-use objectives such as wildlife habitat, biodiversity and Aboriginal traditional land use
• The design of growth-media layers of mine-waste cover systems to support these reclaimed ecosystems
• Assessment of how the characteristics and functions of reclaimed ecosystems are likely to evolve over time

Most importantly, we assist our clients in understanding the role of reclamation in overall watershed function, and how reclamation actions contribute to larger landscape performance goals. Further, we use our expertise in community engagement and cultural research to assist with stakeholder engagement in the closure planning process and to inform reclamation objectives and indicators for achieving traditional land-use goals.

In the last five years, we have worked on over 15 mine sites in western and northern Canada, and have analyzed data from sites around the world. We provide these services both independently and as a partner with larger, multi-disciplinary teams, often working closely with O’Kane Consultants and BGC Engineering.