Global Tailings Standards and Opportunities for the Mine of the Future

Introduction

Tailings storage facilities have been a feature of mining operations around the globe since mining began. They are the depositories of waste or gangue material from mining operations and mineral processing plants, or the storage facilities for pollution control. In some cases, they may still contain low grade minerals, high grade fines that are not economically viable to treat. They may also contain reagents and other radioactive or potentially harmful minerals and chemicals, that could damage ecosystems in the event of their escape. Tailings facilities are each in a way unique, either in terms of location, terrain, design and construction. Furthermore, in terms of design and construction, debate occurs globally on the merits and demerits of upstream and downstream facilities, and wet or dry facilities.

Following failures of TSFs over many decades, but especially in the last few years, great pressure from civil society and the investment community has resulted in calls for more stringent standards and audits, as well as public disclosure of the results of risk analysis and monitoring.

This has culminated in the recent publication of the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management by ICMM, UNEP and PRI as well as guidance by the International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD). At the same time, the Global Mining Professionals Alliance has called on its members to participate actively on a Global Action on Tailings (GAT) group, to ensure cross fertilisation of knowledge and learnings about TSFs across the globe.
In addition, and in response to calls from the Church of England Pensions Board and the Council on Ethics for the Swedish Public Pension Funds, many mining companies conducted deep-dive self-audits during 2019 and 2020 which they published on their websites for public scrutiny.

In South Africa, the SAIMM has convened a Task Group which includes industry professionals, Academia, the SAIMM, and the South African Institute of Civil Engineers (SAICE). This group has formed the organizing committee for the presentation of this very important international conference.

Type of Event

To ensure the health and safety of our industry during the Covid-19 pandemic, we will be hosting this event online. You can still claim your CPD points for online attendance.

TOPICS TO BE COVERED

The topics to be covered will follow the format of the ICMM Standard, as well as other topics. These include:

• The reasons for failures and important learnings
• Risk management and processes for TSFs
• The role of the regulatory authority
• The view of industry
• Stakeholder engagement and affected communities
• An integrated knowledge base created through case studies and learnings
• Design, construction and operation of TSFs
• Monitoring of TSFs in real-time : internal, external and satellite imagery
• Management, governance and reporting of TSFs
• Emergency response and long term recovery
• Public disclosure and access to information
• Competence and qualifications of “Engineers of Record
• Environmental impacts
• Modelling and simulation
• Research and the possibility of mining with no tailings
• Remining of TSFs
• Case studies.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND

• Industry professionals
• Academics and researchers
• Environmental Scientists
• Hydrologists
• Mineral Processing Engineers
• Civil Engineers
• Metallurgists
• Mine Management
• Stakeholders
• Community leaders
• State officials
• Union officials
• Consultants
• Technology developers and suppliers.

CONTACT

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Gugu Charlie, Conference Coordinator,
E-mail: gugu@saimm.co.za
Tel: +27 11 834-1273/7