New protocols to tackle tailings risks

A newly released Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management will help support the safe management of tailings facilities around the world, says the Minerals Council of Australia. The new industry protocols come 18 months after the tailings dam disaster at the Corrego do Feijão mine in Brazil that killed 270 people. They were developed through an independent global tailings review, co-convened by the International Council on Mining and Metals, United Nations Environment Program and Principles for Responsible Investment. Chief executive officer Tania Constable said Australian companies actively contributed to the development of the new industry standard, which reflected Australian leading practice, standards and guidance. MCA chief executive officer Tania Constable. "While current tailings management practices in Australia are advanced and highly regulated, the industry is committed to continuous improvement as part of its culture of safe and responsible resource development," she said. "The standard and forthcoming guidance will be reviewed in line with the Australian minerals industry’s commitment." Ms Constable said the industry was supporting the development of advanced tailings-specific training courses, including the Future Tails program at the University of Western Australia - backed by MCA members BHP and Rio Tinto. "These efforts will help ensure Australia has ongoing access to the high-quality expertise needed to ensure continued safe operation of tailings facilities into the future," she said. Tailings are fine grained solid residues left after minerals and metals have been extracted and are commonly transported as slurry and ‘thickened’ (to minimise water) prior to storage in tailings storage facilities or dams, either above or below ground. Professor Elaine Baker (above) from the School of Geosciences and GRID-Arendal at the University of Sydney is member of the international advisory panel that oversaw the development of the new protocols. Professor Baker said the task of the review was to establish a standard that would ensure mine operators applied best practices in planning, design, construction, operation, maintenance, monitoring, closure and post-closure of tailings facilities. “The differences between the global standard and many existing standards for tailings dam management include provisions for greater consultation from the outset with potentially affected communities,” Professor Baker said. The new standard covers the entire tailings facility lifecycle – from site selection, design and construction, management and monitoring, through to closure and post-closure. “It also includes increased independent engineering oversight at all stages of tailings management; more transparent mine operator accountability; increased public access to consequence of failure information; and an increased standard of reporting,” Professor Baker said. “These initiatives represent a system-wide change in tailings management.” The Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management is available HERE

New protocols to tackle tailings risks

Industry Queensland

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