Mine closure boosts economy.

The decommissioning of one of Inco Ltd.'s "smaller" mines is a multi-million dollar project expected to provide a boost to the economy through job creation.

The pit at Whistle Mine near Capreol is being filled one dump truck load at a time to bring the landscape back to its pre-mining state. It's no small-scale project, considering the fact each dump truck has the capacity to haul about 32 tonnes of rock and it will take about 3.5 million metres of rock to fill the pit, according to a co-ordinator of the project

For industry involved in mine waste management, decommissioning projects like the Whistle Mine closure increase revenues and boost economy through job creation, says the general manager for Day William Construction Ltd. Day William Construction Ltd, is the general contractor for the project, while Mine Waste Management, based in Sudbury, has been sub-contracted for water management and rock placement.

"This is a larger-scale project for us," Day says. "It's created quite a few. jobs for people in Capreol and Valley East. We have about 50 people working on the site in total right now, and it'll eventually level off to about 30 once the ancillary work is completed."

Heavy equipment operators and general type labourers make up the bulk of labour on the project, he adds.

Whistle Mine opened in 1987, producing about seven million tons of ore during the decade it was in operation,. says Dan Hewitt, inco Ltd. environmental co-ordinator for the project. The mine closed in 1997 and Inco's responsibility has been, to ensure systems are in place to protect the environment and to restore vegetation. Inco Ltd. has allocated $12.5 million towards the closure of Whistle Mine, he adds.

Waste rock from the mine contains sulphur, and the sulphide mineralization will react with water to create an acid. Collection ponds, constructed around 1990, are located around the perimeter of the pit to collect the run-off from the waste rock.

The water is then pumped to the water treatment plant where it is tested and monitored prior to being released into Post Creek and Lake Wahnapatei. Lime is added to the waste rock to neutralize the acid before it is hauled into the pit.

In accordance with the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines Mining Act, all mining operations must have a closure plan in place before the mine opens for production, says Lisa Lanteigne, coordinator of decommissioning and reclamation for Inco Ltd. The "major" environmental concern at Whistle Mine has been the protection of Post Creek and Lake Wahnapatei from waste rock drainage, she says. Once the pit has been filled, a clay-based cap will be placed over the site to limit the amount of oxidation of minerals, she says. Re-vegetation will also be necessary. The project is slated for completion by December 31, 2001. The pit at Whistle Mine is actually one of Inco Ltd.'s smaller mining pits, she adds.

There are about 44 abandoned mine sites around Northern Ontario which were mined in the early 1900's and have since then been decommissioned or are in the process of being decommissioned, she says.

Decommissioning of Inco's Shebandowan Mine site in Thunder Bay was completed in June of this year. The closure of the Shebandowan underground mining and mill operation was one of the company's larger-scale decommissioning projects costing between $8 to $9 million, Lanteigne says. Costs incurred from the relocation of tailings alone totalled $4.5 million, she says. The project was completed within six months. However, monitoring of water quality at the site wrn likely continue for years, she adds. A number of companies, including construction and landscaping, were contracted to work on the project.

"Each leg of the project goes out to various businesses that specialize in specific areas," Lanteigne says. "It's definitely created work locally for people in Thunder Bay."