The tailings storage facility (TSF) failures at Mount Polley, in Canada, and at San Marco and Brumadinho, in Brazil, have altered how tailings engineering, construction and operations will be undertaken, says Adriaan Meintjes, a partner at SRK Consulting, an independent consulting firm of engineers and scientists.
“These three significant tailings dam failures are similar in nature to a decisive event such as 9/11. It should be noted that there are still many other TSF failures worldwide which go almost unnoticed, except by those working in this field,” he says.
Meintjes says the biggest challenge regarding TSFs is addressing the expectations of a changing world.
He tells Mining Weekly that, while the South African tailings and waste management sector is probably on a par with the world’s best practices, that does not suggest that there is no room for improvement.
Metallurgical services provider Metallicon Process Consulting MD and Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (SAIMM) member Michael Valenta – a cochair of the SAIMM’s upcoming 2020 Tailing Storage Conference – notes that South Africa is well placed in terms of the design, operation and maintenance of tailings facilities.
“We have the necessary skills and the willpower to maintain a clean record. Historically, TSFs did not receive much attention; however, there has been a significant response, following recent TSF failures, resulting in stricter rules and regulations,” he adds.
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