Xstrata Nickel, Sudbury Smelter Business Unit of Xstrata Canada Corporation has submitted a Mine Closure Plan for re-filing by MNDM as required under the Mining Act. This Closure Plan proposes rehabilitation measures to be implemented upon the eventual closure of Xstrata Canada Corporation’s Sudbury Smelter Area. The rehabilitation work to be conducted will include:
• Sloping, covering and vegetating of landfill
• Stabilization and vegetation of East Mine Tailings Area
• Ensuring dam stability
• Dredging and draining the Polishing Pond
• Breaching dams and constructing dykes
• Improving water flow and drainage through the site, provide emergency spillways
• Erosion protection
• Decommissioning roads and railroads
• Slope and revegetate slag piles
• Surface soil cleanup
• Interceptor well and treatment plant
• Fencing marginally stable crown pillar area
• Revegetation of smelter area
• Neutralizing, regrading and revegetation of Acid loadout area
• Demolishing buildings
• Flow monitoring and water management. Additional data will be collected from Emery and Coniston creeks.
• Physical and chemical monitoring and inspection
• Studies will be undertaken to include unconfined tailings between Dams 8 and 9 and rehabilitation measures discussed and closure plan amended if required.

The following are the major components of this Closure Plan as proposed by Xstrata:
• The No.1 Open Pit
• Five tailings areas (Steel Yard Tailings, East Mine Tailings, Powder Magazine Tailings, Smelter Pyrrhotite Area and Pyrrhotite Tailings Area)
• Falconbridge Mine and East Mine
• The slag deposition area
• The smelter and associated industrial facilities
• Smelter area infrastructure (including the Wahnapitae River Pipeline)
• The Water Management Area and associated water handling facilities, and
• The acid loadout facility