Teck Alaska operates the Red Dog Mine in north-western Alaska on lands owned by NANA, an Alaskan Native corporation that is wholly owned by the local Inupiat people. A closure planning team consisting of Teck and NANA employees, along with SRK consultants, implemented a structured methodology that allowed a variety of stakeholder groups to have a balanced voice in the development of the plan. Initially, the team prepared a set of reports describing the technically viable closure options. The options were presented at a series of regional public meetings. The team also produced an Inupiaq-language DVD and provided it to all of the homes in the nearby communities. The closure planning team facilitated two multi-stakeholder groups to provide clear feedback. Workshop participants, over 100 in total, included representatives of the nearby communities, elder hunters form the region, Teck and NANA staff, State of Alaska regulators, NGOs and technical specialists. Participants were grouped according to their primary interest, and each gorup was asked a series of questions that reflected their own perspective. Answers were gathered from each group and compiled to show group preferences. Individuals were also polled and their preferences compiled. The group and individual results showed clear preferences that became the basis of the current closure and reclamation plan.
Hockley, D. E. & Coulter, G. A. (2010). Many voices, one plan: Eliciting and integrating stakeholder feedback. In A.B. Fourie, M. Tibbett, & J. Wiertz (Eds.), Proceedings of the Fifth International Conference on Mine Closure. Australian Centre for Geomechanics, Viña del Mar (pp. 167-180).