Tailings Dam Management for the Twenty-First Century

Tailings dams remain on site following mine closures and must be designed and reclaimed to meet long-term goals, which may include walk-away closure or long-term care and maintenance. The underperformance of these structures can result in significant risks to public and environmental safety, as well as impacts on the future land use and economic activities near the structure. In Alberta, Canada, the expectation is for a tailings dam to be reclaimed and closed so that it can undergo deregistration. To aid in assessing the risks of underperformance during and after closure, a Generalized Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (G-FMEA) framework was developed to assess the long-term geotechnical risks for tailings dams in Alberta, with the goal of assessing the potential success of a tailings dam closure strategy. The G-FMEA is part of an initiative to enhance closure evaluations in Alberta in a collaborative effort between industry, the regulator, and academia. The G-FMEA incorporates the element of time to account for the evolution of the system, which should be applied at the planning stage and updated continually throughout the life of the facility. This paper presents the developed G-FMEA framework for tailings dams in Alberta, including the developed risk matrix framework.

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“…This is misleading. [23,31,33] A risk rating should be assigned for each consequence category for a hazard.…”

Section: Referencesmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Failure Modes and Effects Analysis Framework for Assessing Geotechnical Risks of Tailings Dam Closure

2021

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“…Tailings dams, if not constructed and appropriately managed, can pose significant risks and can lead to catastrophic events. Researchers actively seek innovative solutions to mitigate the challenges associated with sulfidic minerals, heavy metals, and tailing management by developing materials and processes that can safely immobilize or utilize these components [18].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Comprehensive Review on Mine Tailings as a Raw Material in the Alkali Activation Process

Manaviparast,

Miranda,

Pereira

et al. 2024

Applied Sciences

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The mining industry generates vast quantities of mine tailings on an annual basis. However, due to their limited economic value, a significant portion of these tailings are deposited close to mining sites, often underwater. The principal environmental apprehensions associated with mine tailings revolve around their elevated levels of heavy metals and sulfidic minerals. The oxidation of these sulfidic minerals can lead to the formation of acid mine drainage, which in turn releases heavy metals into nearby water systems. The effective management of tailing dams requires substantial financial investments for their construction and meticulous control. Consequently, a pressing need exists for stable, sustainable, and economically viable management approaches. One promising method for addressing mine tailings is through alkali activation, a technique that serves as a stabilization process. This approach yields robust, concrete-like structures by utilizing raw materials abundant in aluminum and silicon, which conveniently constitute the primary components of mining residues. This comprehensive review outlines the research on utilizing alkali activation for mine tailings. It delves into the reactivity and chemical attributes of diverse minerals. Numerous mine tailings exhibit an inadequate level of reactivity under alkaline conditions, so various pre-treatment methodologies and their impacts on mineralogy are meticulously explored.

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“…The internationally recognized guidelines and recommendations for the design of tailings dams are the International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD), the Australian National Committee on Large Dams (ANCOLD) and the Application of Dam Safety Guidelines to Mining Dams (CDA) [6][7][8], [10], [12]. The principles and standards set out in these guidelines represent best global practices in the design and management of tailings dams [13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparative analysis of Ukrainian and international standards in the context of mining tailings dam design requirements

Radchuk

2024

IOP Conf. Ser.: Earth Environ. Sci.

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The global global mining industry produces billions of tonnes of mine tailings each year. These tailings are typically a mix of finely ground rock, chemicals in the extraction process, and water. Tailings are commonly stored in Tailings Storage Facilities (TSFs). TSFs are dynamic structures that are designed and managed to contain the tailings produced by mining operations. The construction of industrial tailings storage facilities has become widespread at the current stage of development of the mining industry in Ukraine and abroad. The focus is primarily on ensuring the reliability and safety of these facilities during their design, construction, and operation, as a failure of such structures can have catastrophic consequences. This paper presents a review and a comparative analysis of the requirements of Ukrainian standards with international standards in the design of tailings storage facilities. Comparing Ukrainian and international standards in the context of tailings design requirements can provide insights into the similarities and differences in their approaches. Ukraine has specific regulations and guidelines for tailings design, which could differ from international standards. It is important to analyze how Ukrainian standards align with international best practices.

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Tailings Dam Management for the Twenty-First Century

Cited by 11 publications

References 0 publications

A Failure Modes and Effects Analysis Framework for Assessing Geotechnical Risks of Tailings Dam Closure

A Failure Modes and Effects Analysis Framework for Assessing Geotechnical Risks of Tailings Dam Closure

A Comprehensive Review on Mine Tailings as a Raw Material in the Alkali Activation Process

Comparative analysis of Ukrainian and international standards in the context of mining tailings dam design requirements

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