The progressive migration to renewable energies relies on mining activities due to the high demand of metals and rare earth elements. This exploitation will increase the production of tailings, therefore, the need for new Tailings Storage Facilities (TSF).
Consequently, national regulations must be clear and consistent under a technical framework aimed at standardizing guidelines for TSF designs and management. In addition, these regulations shall properly define the required analyses and classifications for every risk level.
Latin America has at least 1500 active and closed TSFs. The base studies, designs, construction, and operation records are often poorly documented. The quality and detail of the documentation available can vary drastically depending on when it was generated due to changes in the design/construction/operation teams over the years and the different standards used for each facility.
Even though there are global guidelines and specific local requirements, there are significant differences among them; many national regulations have ambiguities regarding the analyses and design criteria required. In fact, some countries have a complete lack of regulations for TSF or any applicable standards that consider risk levels for the environment or surrounding communities.
Another key point is the role and responsibilities of stakeholders related to the design, construction, and operation of a TSF. Most Latin American nations do not have these roles well defined and show vague technical concepts.
This paper compares regulations and guidelines for TSFs in Latin America. It highlights the importance of standardizing them considering the new Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM) requirements such as: governance, quality control, monitoring and risk management during all the lifecycle of the facilities. Furthermore, it discusses the use of the factor of safety and its relationship with the probability of failure, as well as the use of a risk assessment approach and performance-based regulations.
