Mine Closure/Site Rehabilitation activities in this stage may include:

• shut-down, which involves the layoff or transitioning of most employees, and shutting down of the mine equipment;
• decommissioning, which involves taking apart the equipment and processing facilities;
• reclamation, which involves restoring the land to its pre-mine state as closely as possible; and
• post-closure activities, which involve monitoring the site to ensure reclamation was successful.

It should be noted that a number of the activities related to site closure and rehabilitation may begin in earlier stages of a mining project. For example, planning for site closure can often begin as early as the advanced exploration stage. Environmental monitoring takes place throughout the mining cycle. Employment in jobs related to closure and reclamation are therefore available throughout the life of a mine; however, the greatest number of opportunities for employment will occur in the final stages.