Mine Tailings: Perspectives for a Changing World

Re-imagine the Future of Tailings

Nearly every recent article on tailings starts by mentioning a large tailings dam failure. The consequences of these failures have been so devastating they have pushed conversations about the risks inherent in these structures beyond the mining community into the general population. We are left to question how we address the risks associated with tailings disposal, and in so doing, transform the image of the mining industry and perhaps the industry itself.

With this as a backdrop, the Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration (SME) challenged tailings and mining professionals to re-imagine the future of tailings. The Mine Tailings: Perspectives for a Changing World symposium, held at the SME 2020 annual conference, started that conversation. Over three days, tailings professionals from around the world gathered to discuss tailings storage practices and the changes both the industry and the world want and need. Mine Tailings: Perspectives for a Changing World captures the presentations of the symposium's five sessions:

• Tailings Dam Failures-Lessons Learned from Technical Governance Realities
• State of Practice
• Tailings Governance
• Tailings Continuum-Selection of the Right Tailings Technology
• The Importance of Culture in Safe Tailings Management

The symposium discussions focused on how the mining industry can collectively make changes that will eliminate catastrophic tailings dam failures and lead to better outcomes for the industry and the global society.