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Reclamation certification of plains coal mines in Alberta : experience from a practitioner perspective

British Columbia Mine Reclamation Symposium; University of British Columbia. Norman B. Keevil Institute of Mining Engineering

One of the end goals of reclamation and reclamation monitoring at coal mines in Alberta is to obtain a reclamation certificate; similar certification systems are in place in other jurisdictions. The certification process can often require a long timeframe with several rounds of audits, requests for and provision of additional/supplemental information and input from multiple stakeholders and subject matter experts. To complicate the matter further, a single set of reclamation criteria that apply to all mines have not been defined; each mine develops their own as part of their operating approval. The same is true with monitoring requirements, each mine defines these, and sometimes monitoring programs are not designed with reclamation certification in mind. After going through the certification process several times, we have learned some strategies that can help reduce these timeframes (and the associated frustration). We will discuss our experience from a practitioner’s perspective with certification of over 1,000 ha of reclaimed land split between three coal mines, to provide insight for certification relevant across jurisdictions. The key insights to be presented include planning for a reclamation certification and monitoring in advance, conducting a thorough background review, defining the application area, establishing specific reclamation goals/targets, maintaining effective communication with regulators, and preparing comprehensive application content.

Conference Paper

eng

Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library

10.14288/1.0437488

Non UBC

Other

DSpace