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Tailings facility disclosures reveal stability risks
Daniel M Franks1, Martin Stringer2, Luis A Torres-Cruz3
1Sustainable Minerals Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia. d.franks@uq.edu.au.
Scientific Reports
|March 6, 2021
Summary
Global tailings facilities pose significant risks. A comprehensive survey reveals 10% have stability concerns, with active upstream facilities showing higher risks (18.3%) despite governance measures, emphasizing careful management for environmental safety.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Geotechnical Engineering
- Risk Management
Background:
- Tailings facility failures present global environmental and community risks.
- Limited data previously existed on global risk distribution and facility characteristics for governance.
- Institutional investors prompted data disclosure from extractive companies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compile the most comprehensive global database of tailings facilities.
- To analyze the risks and characteristics associated with different tailings facility types.
- To inform global governance of tailings facility stability.
Main Methods:
- Conducted a survey of tailings facilities disclosed by extractive companies.
- Compiled a database of 1743 tailings facilities.
- Analyzed data on construction method, stability, failure consequence, volume, and technology uptake.
Main Results:
- 10% of facilities reported stability concerns or lack of certification.
- Active upstream facilities show a higher incidence of stability issues (18.3%) than other types.
- Stability issues persist in upstream facilities even in high governance settings; in-pit/natural landform and dry-stack facilities report lower incidence.
Conclusions:
- Upstream tailings facilities present a higher practical risk of stability issues compared to other types.
- Careful facility management and robust governance are crucial across all construction methods.
- The findings provide critical insights for improving global tailings facility governance and safety.
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