Mines convenes 2nd summit on abandoned mine lands

Colorado School of Mines hosted its second summit focused on the environmental impacts of mine closure and remediation strategies on Nov. 14.

“A Framework to Manage the Environmental Reality of Orphaned and Abandoned Mine Lands” brought together non-governmental organizations, researchers, industry representatives and other stakeholders for a daylong discussion on the Mines campus.

“The Summit brought together over 150 individuals to share and identify opportunities,” said Robin Bullock, an associate professor in the Engineering, Design and Society Division.

Panel participants and speakers shared ideas on best practices for navigating the complex environmental, political and social aspects of managing orphaned and abandoned mine lands, generating expectations for future stakeholders.

Mines hosted the first summit, “Reasonable Expectations for Mine Closure,” in 2016. The event highlighted the need to continue the conversation and develop collaborative strategies that lead to action.

“The series of Mines’ Summits brings stakeholders together to collaborate and develop ideas on how to effectively resolve abandoned mines issues, understanding potential technical limitations as well as identify opportunities for innovation and reuse,” said Mining Engineering Department Head Priscilla Nelson.

This year’s discussions ranged from the technical aspects of successful mine closure and good and bad examples of mine remediation to partnerships and policy in the sociopolitical arena.

The Payne Institute for Earth Resources sponsored the summit, in collaboration with the Department of Mining Engineering, the Engineering, Design and Society Division, the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and the Keystone Policy Center.

Mines plans to host a third summit in 2018 to continue the discussion and generate tangible actions to begin systematic remediation of existing abandoned mines.

See photos event in the Flickr slideshow below.