De Beers has received approval from the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board in NWT Canada for its closure and reclamation plan for the Snap Lake Diamond mine, according to reports in the Canadian media. The mine has been shut for the past few years.

CBC News reported that the company has been granted a 15-year licence to complete demolition of built up structures and restore the land to its original condition. The licence includes eight years within which to complete the demolition and restoration work, plus five years of monitoring post completion. The company has also been granted a two-year cushion to account for any unexpected challenges.

The restoration project, the report said, includes demolition of buildings, followed by capping and contouring waste rock piles and creating two wetlands to filter runoff from those piles before it re-enters Snap Lake.

According to CBC News, De Beers is required to post a $31.1-million security deposit for the closure.

Snap Lake opened in July 2008, and was De Beers’ first mine outside of Africa. At the time it was projected to operate for 15 years. However, a drop in diamond prices, coupled with ongoing problems related to meeting water quality standards set for the underground mine, led to its premature closure after less than eight years of operations.