Kinross takes proactive approach to mine rehab: Partnership between province and mining company revitalizes land for public use, addresses subsidence issues. (Timmins and Cochrane).

When a mining company fails, or goes into receivership, the burden of the health and environmental hazards associated with an abandoned mine becomes the responsibility of the province.

So when a company like Kinross Gold Corp. sought to increase their presence in the Timmins area and purchased 10 former Royal Oak properties left behind in the Crown's hands, you can bet the province jumped at the opportunity to work with them.

The result has been a rewarding and ongoing partnership between Kinross and the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines (MNDM) to either bring former mines back into production or rehabilitate them for public use.

"Kinross is at the forefront of environmental management for gold-mining companies," says Rod Cooper, manager of technical services at the company's Hoyle Pond mine in Timmins. "This really fits with the philosophy of our senior management."

Their closure program, which is active at Kinross properties throughout the United States, has won the mining giant numerous awards for their proactive approach in mine rehabilitation and environmental stewardship.

As operators of Hoyle Pond since the early 1990s, Kinross saw the property acquisition as a golden opportunity to add to their local resource base, and acquired the Royal Oak lands that included the legendary Hollinger and McIntyre mine sites, properties with decades of production history behind them.

"There's nearly three million ounces of gold contained on those old Royal Oak properties, and much of it could still be developed commercially," says Cooper, whose company owns about 60,000 acres of land within the city limits.

For those sites that did not hold any ore-producing potential, Kinross set about embarking on their rehabilitation Program in removing any derelict buildings, cap mine sites and cleaning up mine tailings.

They struck a deal in late 1999 with the Ontario government through MNDM on a technical and cost-sharing agreement to address cracking and subsidence problems at. many sites in town.

In the funding arrangement, the first $5 million is equally split between Kinross and MNDM, with the Ontario government picking up the bill on the next $10 million. Beyond' that, Kinross assumes all costs.

A partnership team of .MNDM and Kinross engineers prioritize properties on a risk-assessment basis and periodically meet to make all the technical and fiscal decisions. Many of the properties that are considered first are those that are mine hazards on public land outside the company fence.

Under the agreement, Kinross acts as the operators in hiring the contractors and engineers to do the jobs around town. Since many of these former mining operations affect public properties, they co-ordinate their actions with the City of Timmins.

Among their most newsworthy projects over the last 18 months is the reclamation of the Hollinger Golf Club. Sinkhole problems had swallowed up the entire driving range, and portions of the parking lot, causing numerous safety hazards that would only worsen over time. Through an extensive backfilling program with sand from the sur face, and various geotechnical studies, they managed to secure the entire course and make it safe for playing again.

Kinross also offered their geotechnical expertise, to address subsidence issues along First Avenue leading into Schumacher, and with a city construction project to add a fifth line to Algonquin Boulevard. The parcels of land that held no value and were associated with other city residential or business uses were either sold off or donated to local interests.

The old McIntyre director's lodge, a onetime guest house for company clients, was sold to private interests who have converted the' historically significant property into a thriving bed and breakfast Kinross also gave 50 acres to the city, which is now the site of the Shania Twain Centre.

Among their upcoming projects for next year include closure plans involving the McIntyre Mine concentrate dump and at Little Pearl Lake Mine to transfer that property to the Lions Club to revert 'back into a park again. Plans are also in the works to present the historic McIntyre No. 11 head frame to the city for preservation as a heritage building.