CCSG Associates2019-09-252019-09-252012-04-162001-07-06http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12424/184766"Abandoned mines are a key source of pollution in Canada. They are a serious and immediate danger to human health and the environment -- they are costing taxpayers millions of dollars in clean-up, health impacts such as cancers, and lost fishery and farm income. And they stand to cost billions more. A recent Environics poll demonstrated the increasing public concern over contaminated sites: 84% of Canadians felt that cleaning up communities affected by toxic waste was very important and 78% felt it was more important than cutting personal income taxes. Mines become abandoned for a variety of reasons: bankruptcy and insolvency; inadequate regulation and enforcement; surrender to the crown with remaining liabilities and inadequate or non-existent securities. Sometimes the owner has simply disappeared. This report is organized into five sections that include: 1. Guiding principles for the reclamation of abandoned mines. 2. A survey of bonding practices and abandoned mine programs in selected mining jurisdictions of Canada (Yukon Territory, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec). 3. A preliminary survey of programs from other countries (Sweden, the United Kingdom, and several programs from the United States, e. g. , the Superfund, the Surface Coal Mining Act , the Alaska State bonding pool, mining-specific taxes in Montana and South Dakota, and the federal 3809 regulations). 4. Examples from other industries of financing instruments and of incentives for progressive change. 5. Conclusions and recommendations. Increasingly, the public is demanding that the financial burden of cleaning up mine sites be recognized as a cost of doing business and internalised by the mining industry. Indeed, sound public policy regarding both new mining developments and abandoned mines can only be formulated when all the costs -- as well as the benefits -- are on the table."engWith permission of the license/copyright holderminingabandoned minespollutionhealthenvironmentregulationpublic policyEconomic ethicsEnvironmental ethicsBusiness ethicsResources ethicsPreprint