Proposed closure plan amendment submissions for Vale Canada Limited Ontario Operations

Vale Canada Limited is in the process of updating their currently filed closure plans for their Ontario operations, as required under Ontario Regulation 240/00 and the Mining Act of Ontario. The proponent is required to have a certified mine closure plan for all mine hazards on site. These closure plans provide rehabilitation measures to be implemented for sixteen of Vale Canada Limited operations in Ontario: Copper Cliff Smelter, Copper Cliff Nickel Refinery, Copper Cliff Copper Refinery, Copper Cliff North Mine, Copper Cliff South Mine, Copper Cliff Central Tailings Area, Clarabelle Mill, Frood-Stobie Complex, Creighton Mine, Totten Mine, Crean Hill Mine, Whistle Mine, Garson Mine, Shebandowan Mine, Port Colborne Refinery and the Levack-Onaping Complex.

The closure plan amendments include updates to current site conditions, progressive rehabilitation, monitoring requirements for closure and proposed rehabilitation measures for mine hazards on the sites at closure. The proposed rehabilitation work will include description of work to be completed.

The following are some of the major components of these closure plans that will be addressed by the proponent:

• updates to site infrastructure and mine hazards on sites.
• updates to studies conducted for site characterization, including geochemical and geotechnical stability.
• updates to proposed rehabilitation on sites, based on updated site characterization studies.
• updates to progressive rehabilitation work that has been completed on the various sites.
• increased financial assurance for the rehabilitation of waste rock areas, tailings areas, shaft capping, physical stability, site security, revegetation, tailings dam maintenance and monitoring, surface water and ground water monitoring programs for the properties at closure, including increased financial assurance for the operations of water treatment plants.

Some of the mine hazards associated with these sites include:

• tailings areas, settling and polishing ponds and tailings dams.
• water impoundment dams,
• waste rock and ore storage piles,
• openings to surface,
• crown pillars,
• open pits,
• buildings and other surface infrastructure,
• water monitoring and treatment facilities,
• contaminated soils,
• rail lines, pipelines, hydro lines and roadways, equipment, storage tanks, petroleum products, waterlines, chemicals, waste, explosives, septic tank(s).

The required closure plan amendments with accompanying financial assurance will be submitted in a form and manner in accordance with Ontario Regulation 240/00, including the Mine Rehabilitation Code of Ontario.