Mine Closure, Reclamation, and Management

Quick Facts

  • Since 1978, more than 2.2 million acres of mined lands have been restored to their original or better condition
  • The Abandoned Mine Reclamation Program has awarded $6.5B in grants to reclaim lands and waters in the US

“Water's precious. Sometimes may be more precious than gold.”
– The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)

Sovereign offers mine closure, reclamation, and management services to the mining industry to solve challenging environmental, legal, and regulatory issues at active and abandoned mines.

Sovereign’s mining group draws on expertise in geochemistry, engineering, and hydrogeology to deliver mine closure, reclamation, and management services at active and abandoned mine sites. Our team has project experience at over 50 different mine sites. Sovereign’s mining expertise encompasses the following:

Mine Closure and Reclamation

  • Site characterization
  • Environmental permitting
  • Tailing impoundment design/closure
  • Waste rock testing, segregation and repository design
  • Heap rinsing and pond water treatment and closure
  • Infiltration, seepage, and unsaturated flow studies
  • Pit water geochemistry, hydrogeology and dewatering
  • Acid rock drainage treatment (passive and active)
  • Budget management and life-cycle costing
  • Post-closure planning, monitoring, and redevelopment

Mine Water Quality and Treatment

  • Fate and transport studies
  • Water balance / water management studies
  • Water quality analysis
  • Water treatment system design and installation (active and passive)
  • Best management practices

Forensic Analysis

  • Metal and metalloid fate and transport modeling
  • Isotopic analysis
  • Water supply liability analysis

Uranium and Radionuclide Geochemistry

  • Radiation surveys
  • Geochemical analysis and speciation
  • Surface and groundwater treatment of radionuclides

Acid Rock Drainage

  • Water chemistry and discharge chemistry analysis
  • Acid rock drainage prediction, modeling, and management
  • Acid mine drainage abatement