Closure plans

If we decide to develop the Simandou project, agreeing a closure plan will be one of our first activities. If we decide to forego development, we will still close the project according to our closure standard.

Closing a mine or other operating site does not simply mean shutting down production, rehabilitating the land and walking away. Relationships change and people's livelihoods can be affected, as can the social and environmental programmes established during the life of the mine.

We well understand that our legacy at one site may well determine our future access to land, people and capital at another.

Rio Tinto's closure standard treats mine closure as a multi disciplinary responsibility, involving community relations, human resources, environmental specialists, engineers and financial specialists. We integrate closure planning into all aspects of decision making in a business. This applies from the earliest stages of exploration to decommissioning facilities. It is crucial to leaving a positive legacy of sustainable development.