ABSTRACT
740Mine closure, the subject of matter of this chapter, is the term applied to the activities undertaken after completion of mining and mineral processing. It includes decommissioning, dismantling and removal of plant and equipment, and the rehabilitation of areas disturbed by mining and associated activities. Rehabilitation and reclamation are the most commonly used terms for the procedures and practices applied to return land disturbed by mining to a functional condition. Rehabilitation is the term most commonly used in the Australian mining industry, while reclamation is the term favoured in the USA. The terms are essentially interchangeable, but the term rehabilitation is used throughout this book. Revegetation is another commonly used term, its meaning being confined to that part of the rehabilitation process involving establishment and maintenance of plants. Restoration is a more specific term which refers to rehabilitation that returns the land surface to its pre-existing function and condition.
