Assessing Liabilities and Funding Options

Abstract – Ottawa, ON. November 2-3, 2005

This report captures the proceedings of the National Orphaned/Abandoned Mines Initiative (NOAMI) Workshop on Assessing Liabilities and Funding Options, held on November 2 and 3, 2005 in Ottawa, Ontario. The workshop was attended by over 70 participants from mining industry, Aboriginal Canadians, non-governmental organizations from both Canada and the US, and federal and provincial governments. The objectives of the workshop were:

To present and discuss approaches for assessing liability and funding options at orphaned/abandoned mines, and share relevant experiences and examples;
To develop a better understanding of the issues;
To explore different approaches to dealing with the issues; and
Identify areas for further work by NOAMI.

Key themes of technical site assessments, accounting for and reporting on liabilities, assessing community and health impacts, and funding options were examined through Canadian and international case studies and panel presentations, which were discussed in plenary. A rollup discussion summarized the highlights of the discussions on each of the key themes, and identified gaps and future priorities for NOAMI. These recommendations will help to develop terms of reference for the assessment, reporting and funding of liabilities associated with orphaned/abandoned mines.