With the passing of the first deadline for mining companies to bring their tailings storage facilities (TSFs) into compliance with new standards, a fundamental shift has occurred toward a more multi-dimensional approach.
In August 2023, the Global Industry Standard on Tailing Management (GISTM) required compliance from tailings storage facilities (TSFs) with the highest potential consequences in the event of a failure. A key element of the GISTM's impact is that tailings management is no longer one-dimensional. Significantly, it systematically considers the environment in which the TSF is located - beyond the technical requirements from an engineering perspective. This demands that a wider range of disciplines be brought to bear on analysing and mitigating the risks.
Closure and climate change
Nowhere in the standard is this clearer than in the closure requirements that it stipulates. The background to the renewed focus on closure is important, as some of the TSF failures that prompted the GISTM took place in facilities that were no longer operational. They were under care and maintenance, having entered the closure phase of their life cycle. Certainly, there has been more attention paid to mine closure generally in past decades, and TSFs were considered part of this process - but the GISTM has been specific and pointed in its approach.
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