Reimagining legacy mine closures

There comes a time when every mine reaches the end of its productive life. What follows is closure: the process of restoring the site to a stable, sustainable condition. This has always been long and complex — and it is becoming even more so as new standards, regulations and expectations continually reshape what responsible closure looks like.

Drawing on insights from a recent AECOM mine closure executive forum, Sneha Chanchani, our global energy and sustainability advisor, explores how mining companies can navigate this evolving landscape. She explores the value of shifting from a project approach to a program mindset, reframing mine closure as more than just an endpoint. Instead, it becomes a generational opportunity to create a positive legacy by regenerating land, building trust, and creating lasting value for both communities and mining companies.

Mine closure is hard, and getting harder

Mine closure is an inherently complex undertaking. Our proprietary analysis of more than 10 global mine sites shows closure timelines can span decades — often 30 years or more. These long timeframes are shaped less by mine size and more by environmental, social and regulatory intricacies. Even then, the goal of a “walkaway”, free from ongoing obligations, is often elusive. Only a few sites globally have received closure certificates acknowledging the site has been rehabilitated. 

As operators take on this long-term responsibility, they are focused on site safety and sustainability, meeting community and regulatory expectations, and managing liabilities. Throughout this multi-generational process, technologies, regulations, best practices and stakeholder expectations will keep progressing, reshaping what responsible and effective closure looks like.

Navigating these challenges has never been easy, but it is becoming harder as expectations rise. Updated frameworks such as the International Council on Mining and Metals’ Integrated Mine Closure: Good Practice Guide (second edition) emphasize social, environmental and economic outcomes. Investors are increasingly entering the conversation, with the Global Investor Commission Mining 2030 calling for mines to leave a positive legacy. The Church of England Pensions Board is pushing for new tailings management standards, and using its financial influence to promote industry-wide compliance. 

This pace of change is not likely to slow, so mine operators need an approach with the flexibility to manage closure through long durations and changing expectations. For newer sites, there’s an opportunity to embed closure planning from the outset to lay the foundation for more efficient, sustainable outcomes down the line.

A new approach: From projects to programs

Traditional major project management approaches can be effective for clearly defined infrastructure builds. But they have limits when it comes to the long timelines and shifting variables of mine closures. Project plans made at the start of the closure often struggle to accommodate changes over 30 years. 

One effective solution is shifting from a project-based approach to a program management model. This means managing initiatives as part of a broader strategy — working holistically to deliver long-term outcomes through integrated planning, consistent delivery models and a focus on continuous improvement. A programmatic approach enables greater flexibility, measurable progress and cross-functional governance. It is dynamic, phased and responsive — equipping mining companies to navigate shifting risks and expectations, capitalize on emerging opportunities, and respond to evolving community needs, ultimately increasing the certainty of a successful closure.  

A rigorous plan is still critical, of course. A successful program still begins with robust stakeholder engagement, leading to a shared vision of closure criteria, post-closure use and ongoing stewardship. Whether the goal is ecological restoration or redevelopment, this plan establishes a strong foundation and clear direction for everyone to work toward.

But the plan also embeds contingencies and continuous improvement into its DNA. Program-based closure incorporates ongoing reviews, even post-closure, to assess best practices in light of shifts in technology, climate, regulations, workforce and stakeholder expectations. It integrates lessons learned from other projects, ensuring the plan remains current, informed and resilient. 

Program management promotes a fundamental mindset shift for those delivering it. Success depends on equipping managers with the tools and training to operate within a “plan, do, assess, learn” cycle — one that prioritizes learning over fixed delivery and encourages experimentation and innovation.

All of this supports early identification of issues and continually spots opportunities to improve. Take stakeholder engagement: ongoing dialogue helps teams stay aligned with evolving expectations throughout the closure process. Or technology: routine assessments allow mines to benefit from advances in areas like artificial intelligence, sensing and automation — tools that could dramatically reduce cost or improve outcomes.

This kind of adaptability helps prevent issues before they escalate. It enables mine closures to evolve with changing conditions, ultimately reducing closure durations, liabilities and costs.

Long-term value for mining companies and communities 

A long-term program management mindset is a powerful tool to improve the closure process. But it also opens the door to lasting, value-generating outcomes through ongoing stewardship. 

For instance, nature-based solutions like reforestation and wetland restoration can produce ‘habitat credits’ and ‘carbon credits’, which can be sold to offset environmental impacts elsewhere. Kennecott Utah Copper has restored 3,670 acres of saltpans and industrial land into shorebird habitat along Utah’s Great Salt Lake. A Utah Department of Natural Resources study suggests this project and others like it could generate tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars per acre in wetland credits to help offset ongoing monitoring costs.

Repurposing sites for renewable energy offers another opportunity. Chevron’s Questa Mine in New Mexico installed a one-megawatt solar facility on its tailings area, selling electricity to the local cooperative under a long-term contract.

These strategies enhance environmental outcomes and unlock new revenue streams. They also strengthen the social license to operate — closures that create community value can build trust with key stakeholders and reduce the risk of post-closure concerns arising. 

Leaving a lasting legacy 

Mine closure is more than a technical challenge or a regulatory requirement. It is a strategic opportunity to demonstrate value, build trust and leave a positive legacy.

By adopting a program management approach — flexible, responsive, and long-sighted — mine operators can deliver lasting outcomes that meet diverse needs, and shape a future where closure is not the end of the story, but a new beginning.

To learn more about legacy mine closures, reach out to our mining leads or contact your AECOM account manager directly.