Reclamation

Land disturbance is a consequence of mining. Our aim is to minimize our footprint, mitigate our impacts and, once mining is finished, to leave behind land that will support productive uses for future generations. Careful planning during development and operations helps to reduce the area affected by mining activities, as well as the environmental effects of disturbance. An important element of our environmental management approach is the development of closure and reclamation plans as a part of initial project planning and design. Closure and reclamation plans are then routinely updated during the life of each operation to ensure that environmental impacts are effectively addressed and financial obligations are satisfied. Many of our sites have nurseries where native species of grasses, shrubs and trees are grown in preparation for revegetation activities.

During operations, whenever possible, disturbed areas are contoured and vegetated after they are no longer required for active mining. At closure, in order to return the remaining disturbed land to a stable state for post-mining land use, we remove, relocate, demolish or transfer ownership of buildings and physical infrastructure; close pits and shafts; stabilize underground workings; treat tailings and waste water appropriately; and slope, contour, cap or cover and vegetate our waste rock dumps and tailings impoundments. Barrick has taken a leading role in the design and construction of evaporative covers for both waste rock dumps and tailings impoundments, and has also won industry and government awards for its reclamation activities.

We report our footprint of disturbed and reclaimed land each year in the annual Responsibility Report.



At the El Indio mine in Chile, an innovative approach to reclamation expedited the closure process, reduced the safety risks involved and had the added benefit of transferring state-of-the-art technology to the Chilean contractors. When El Indio ceased operations in 2002, Barrick committed to an ambitious and comprehensive closure plan at the site under a voluntary agreement with Chilean authorities. Borrowing from the techniques used in the closure of Barrick’s McLaughlin and Homestake mines in the United States, the team obtained expertise, from a US contractor, to train the Chilean demolition contractor. Before the end of the 2003-2004 work season, both major buildings were successfully removed and a total of 21,000 tonnes of material were shipped from El Indio to be recycled.

More:
Mine Closure: Doing it right




With policies and procedures put into place at the earliest stages of all project development and continuing during the development of the mine, Barrick is in the best position to minimize its footprint. For example, reclamation at our Cortez mine in Nevada has been ongoing—restoring habitat, creating new habitat, stabilizing steep slopes and improving long-term water and air quality. The data below represents Barrick’s total reclamation in 2006, also found in our Responsibility Report.