Facing into risks presented by tailings dams

Queensland mining services and research leaders are helping the industry address some of the most pressing threats to its social licence to operate. The Queensland Tailings Group (QTG) was formed in response to the Brumadinho Tailings Dam failure on 25 January 2019. The dam, 9km east of Brumadinho in Minas Gerais, Brazil, failed causing a mudflow that killed 270 people, mainly staff, and impacted houses, farms, bridges and roads downstream. The dam was owned by Brazilian iron ore miner Vale. Costly reparations The BBC reported that in February 2021, the Minas Gerais state government reached an agreement with Vale to repair all environmental damage, and to pay the communities affected socio-economic and socio-environmental reparations, initially estimated at US$7 billion. Downstream affect of the Brumadinho dam collapse QTG has invited the sister of one of the victims of the Brumadinho failure to speak to industry professionals in the last week of July 2022. “School teacher Angélica Amanda Andrade has become an advocate for change in the way the industry manages tailings”, QTG spokesman Professor David Williams of The University of Queensland (UQ) said. Related: Mudmasters the tailings dam legacy “Angélica wants to try and ensure that things change in Brazil in terms of how tailings are managed, and she gave a presentation at the launch of the Global Standard in October of 2021. “We will take Angélica to Renewable Energy Hub being constructed by Genex Power at the Kidston Gold Mines site in North Queensland to share probably one of the best examples in the world of re-purposing a closed mine site. “Angélica is also going to meet with tailings practitioners, a number of mining company representatives, and members of the UQ Centre for Socila Responsibility in Mining led by Professir Deanna Kemp. “We thought it was important to expose tailings engineers to the social side of tailings management, because a big part of the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM), which was launched in August 2020 at which Angélica spoke, is to consider affected people, to broaden the whole approach to tailings management.” Related: Pajingo tailings storage job an Exact art The 27 member companies of the International Council on Mining and Metals, owners of 30 per cent of the world’s active tailings dams, are signatories to the GISTM. “Tailings dam design standards were continually evolving and responding to new challenges”, Professor Williams said. “The scale and fatalities of the Brumadinho, and the earlier Fundão failure, also in Brazil, have prompted action on tailings dam design with the GISTM goal of zero harm to people and the environment.” Contact thequeenslandtailingsgroup@gmail.com for free membership and updates. Main image above: Exposing natural floor within the shallow northern section of the Century tailings dam (~10m depth, single mining bench. New Century Resources continues to mine tailings in what is seen as benchmark minesite rehabilitation).

Facing into risks presented by tailings dams

Industry Queensland

Related News

BHP in takeover bid for Anglo American

QAL upgrade attracts $94m federal grant

Bridge damage under scrutiny after excavator mishap

Get access to breaking mining news, now.