Closure Risk Assessment in Atashkooh Stone Quarry Using Risk Matrix

摘要

In ideal condition, mine closure happen when reserves exhausted but closure may be premature. Since premature and unplanned closure can cause adverse impacts on the environment and community, therefore it should be managed appropriately. The effect of this negative impact can be reduced by using risk evaluation techniques. One of the more important tools to quantity risk is risk matrix. This method requires a team of key personnel to generate a number of possible hazards with a process of equipment and quantifying the likelihood or probability and the consequence of that event occurring. In Iran, approximately 40% of abandoned mines are stone quarries and main reasons of closure are marketing and economic issues. The aim of this paper is deliberating reasons of closing dimensional stone quarries in Iran and calculating factor of closure in Atashkooh quarry, using risk matrix. Closure coefficient has significant potential as a tool for decision maker to evaluate closure risk and applying required strategy for mining activity. For this purpose, existing risks in this stone quarry determined and by quantitative data, factor of closure is obtained. The results of study show that, closure risk factor of Atashakooh quarry is 582 that confirms medium closure issues at this mine.