Key Factors in Developing and Implementing a Successful Mine Reclamation Plan - Denison Sites 20 Years After Closure

Developing and implementing a successful reclamation plan is dependent on a number of key factors, including defining clear objectives, assessing available options to meet those objectives, gathering adequate and accurate data for evaluating options, revising the selected reclamation plan during implementation if required, and developing a focused and integrated monitoring network to track performance and effectiveness of the plan over time. Successful reclamation can be defined as ensuring effective protection of health, safety, environment and community, with measures of effectiveness driven by regulatory requirements, corporate policies and stakeholder expectations. A successful reclamation plan must also be flexible, adaptive and cost effective in both the short and long term. This paper illustrates how these key factors were and continue to be essential in the success of the reclamation plans designed and implemented at the Denison Mines Inc. uranium mine sites in Elliot Lake, Ontario, over the past 20 years.