6
• Equipment and Human Interaction: Not properly train-
ing, supervising, or instructing employees on safe pro-
cedures to follow when operating mining equipment or
machinery can lead to life-threatening injuries or death.
Additionally, employees must be examined and tested for
fit-for-duty status as well as completing a pre-shift equip-
ment inspection.
• Geotechnical: Invasive and fragmenting practices to
weaken rock can lead to ground instability, slope failures,
rockfall, fly rock, airborne dust, wildlife disruption, and
water contamination.
• Health: During normal operations, if companies are not
actively seeking ways to engineer, substitute, or eliminate
hazards workers can be exposed to, employees are sub-
jected to develop respiratory issues, chronic illnesses, loss
of hearing, and metal poisoning.
• Regulatory Compliance: Financial and legal conse-
quences and challenges may arise if non-compliance
occurs. The mine, its facilities, and components needed
to produce copper must meet MSHA requirements and
operational standards.
• Safety: Lack of understanding, communication, and
supervision can cause injuries and fatalities if rockfall,
equipment malfunctions, human collision with machin-
ery, and falls and slips occur.
• Supply Chain: Involvement with geopolitical issues or
changes can impact trade, the economic viability of a
deposit, and the sustainability of mining operations.
Closure and Reclamation
The closure and reclamation stage focuses on the resto-
ration of the mined site and its resources into a clean,
monitored, and community-usable area and therefore a
critical phase of the copper supply chain. In this stage,
environmental, social, and governance issues are common
if the affected land is not properly maintained during the
previous stage. The following risks can be experienced:
• Ecological Recovery: Based on how previous environ-
mental risks were managed, restoring ecosystems can be
challenging based on soil disturbance or changes, depri-
vation of native vegetation, settling of non-native species,
heavy metal and chemical contamination of water and
soil, and erosion.
• Financial: Insufficient financial budgeting or savings for
this stage can lead to inadequate closure and reclamation
results that do not meet promised or proposed plans.
With limited funds, companies may resolve to cheap or
easier closure plans that can lead to an inaccurate analysis
of the deposits or tailings’ current state and therefore
increase the chance of toxic waste spills and community
resource contamination.
• Liabilities: Not developing solutions at or above the
required level for mitigation can lead to long-term respon-
sibility over both the reclaimed land and surrounding
communities. This can impact the company’s finances as
money is being spent on fixing prominent environmental
issues and errors in implemented reclamation solutions.
• Long-term Stability: Improper planning of the long-term
stability of reclaimed areas can lead to erosion, demol-
ishment, or structural failures over time. Companies will
need to consider the following areas when closing and
reclaiming the mine: tailings storage facility, open/under-
ground mine, waste rock dumps, heap leach pads, pro-
cessing facilities, roads, pregnant leach solution ponds,
and water management systems.
• Post-Closure Monitoring: Lack of effective post-closure
monitoring programs can hinder the assessment and
development of successful long-term reclamation man-
agement systems. Non-effective monitoring programs
can result in inaccurate data and undetected issues that
can increase in severity over time.
• Regulatory Compliance: Non-compliance with local,
state, and federal regulations and commitments can lead
to legal and financial penalties as well as the unsuccessful
completion of the closure and reclamation stage.
• Social: Community engagement is essential in all stages
of the supply chain. However, once the mine is closed,
the community will have access to the area. Companies
must consult with nearby communities and formulate a
consensus on what community expectations should be
met for the reclaimed land.
The listed risks are prominent risks faced during copper
mining projects however they may vary in severity and
consequence from site to site depending on:
• Geological conditions
• Extraction techniques
• Company culture
• Employee training
• Risk assessment
• Mitigation strategies
• Waste and tailings management
• Health and safety monitoring
• Community engagement
• Operational costs
• Implemented policies to meet local, national, and inter-
national regulations.
• Equipment and Human Interaction: Not properly train-
ing, supervising, or instructing employees on safe pro-
cedures to follow when operating mining equipment or
machinery can lead to life-threatening injuries or death.
Additionally, employees must be examined and tested for
fit-for-duty status as well as completing a pre-shift equip-
ment inspection.
• Geotechnical: Invasive and fragmenting practices to
weaken rock can lead to ground instability, slope failures,
rockfall, fly rock, airborne dust, wildlife disruption, and
water contamination.
• Health: During normal operations, if companies are not
actively seeking ways to engineer, substitute, or eliminate
hazards workers can be exposed to, employees are sub-
jected to develop respiratory issues, chronic illnesses, loss
of hearing, and metal poisoning.
• Regulatory Compliance: Financial and legal conse-
quences and challenges may arise if non-compliance
occurs. The mine, its facilities, and components needed
to produce copper must meet MSHA requirements and
operational standards.
• Safety: Lack of understanding, communication, and
supervision can cause injuries and fatalities if rockfall,
equipment malfunctions, human collision with machin-
ery, and falls and slips occur.
• Supply Chain: Involvement with geopolitical issues or
changes can impact trade, the economic viability of a
deposit, and the sustainability of mining operations.
Closure and Reclamation
The closure and reclamation stage focuses on the resto-
ration of the mined site and its resources into a clean,
monitored, and community-usable area and therefore a
critical phase of the copper supply chain. In this stage,
environmental, social, and governance issues are common
if the affected land is not properly maintained during the
previous stage. The following risks can be experienced:
• Ecological Recovery: Based on how previous environ-
mental risks were managed, restoring ecosystems can be
challenging based on soil disturbance or changes, depri-
vation of native vegetation, settling of non-native species,
heavy metal and chemical contamination of water and
soil, and erosion.
• Financial: Insufficient financial budgeting or savings for
this stage can lead to inadequate closure and reclamation
results that do not meet promised or proposed plans.
With limited funds, companies may resolve to cheap or
easier closure plans that can lead to an inaccurate analysis
of the deposits or tailings’ current state and therefore
increase the chance of toxic waste spills and community
resource contamination.
• Liabilities: Not developing solutions at or above the
required level for mitigation can lead to long-term respon-
sibility over both the reclaimed land and surrounding
communities. This can impact the company’s finances as
money is being spent on fixing prominent environmental
issues and errors in implemented reclamation solutions.
• Long-term Stability: Improper planning of the long-term
stability of reclaimed areas can lead to erosion, demol-
ishment, or structural failures over time. Companies will
need to consider the following areas when closing and
reclaiming the mine: tailings storage facility, open/under-
ground mine, waste rock dumps, heap leach pads, pro-
cessing facilities, roads, pregnant leach solution ponds,
and water management systems.
• Post-Closure Monitoring: Lack of effective post-closure
monitoring programs can hinder the assessment and
development of successful long-term reclamation man-
agement systems. Non-effective monitoring programs
can result in inaccurate data and undetected issues that
can increase in severity over time.
• Regulatory Compliance: Non-compliance with local,
state, and federal regulations and commitments can lead
to legal and financial penalties as well as the unsuccessful
completion of the closure and reclamation stage.
• Social: Community engagement is essential in all stages
of the supply chain. However, once the mine is closed,
the community will have access to the area. Companies
must consult with nearby communities and formulate a
consensus on what community expectations should be
met for the reclaimed land.
The listed risks are prominent risks faced during copper
mining projects however they may vary in severity and
consequence from site to site depending on:
• Geological conditions
• Extraction techniques
• Company culture
• Employee training
• Risk assessment
• Mitigation strategies
• Waste and tailings management
• Health and safety monitoring
• Community engagement
• Operational costs
• Implemented policies to meet local, national, and inter-
national regulations.