This document provides oil sands mining operators with guidelines for the audit and assessment process consistent with the requirements set out in the Performance Management documents from COSIA. There is a requirement for a 5-year audit and assessment by an independent team of audit/assessors. Through this process, the audit and assessment team will: 1. Assess the reasonableness of the relevant plans and reports. 2. Provide an opinion as to whether the mine closure plan is realistic and the progressive management of FFT is on track to the desired closure outcome.
The major objective of a tailings impoundment closure is to satisfy the requirements of the regulatory agencies, while minimizing the future liabilities of the mining company with an effective and cost efficient design. Several design concept alternatives with various design component options are generally evaluated during the early planning phases to select a preferred closure design alternative to be implemented. This paper presents a risk-based alternatives evaluation methodology as a decision-making tool that could be applied to planning for tailing impoundment closures.
There are growing expectations of mining companies to operate in a more sustainable manner, with a strong business case for improving waste management and reducing environmental impacts. As the stewardship of tailings come under increasing scrutiny, decision-makers are urged to adopt a robust approach to the selection of a tailings management strategy that encompasses design for closure, and leading practices to lower the risk of catastrophic dam failures, optimise the use of resources, and mitigate environmental impacts on climate change. An integrated analysis, considering economic, environmental, social, and risk aspects of the operation can therefore provide decision-makers with balanced information to ensure the right projects proceed with an optimal business case so that the most cost-effective solution, that does not externalise costs, can be selected. However, literature review revealed that fundamental shortcomings exist within traditional evaluation approaches used for economic comparisons. This paper reports on life cycle cost analyses conducted for comparing various tailings management options under different scenarios. A conceptual case study for the disposal of gold tailings in Western Australia as a slurry, as thickened, or as filtered tailings, was considered. This was done for examining the extent to which potentially hidden costs impact on the total cost of a project. It is suggested that the proposed approach will lead to selection of a tailings management alternative that ensures sound economic, environmental, and social performance is achieved.
EPA developed these best practices to prevent and minimize the potential for sudden uncontrolled releases of fluid mine waste that could result from the Agencys Superfund response actions at tailings impoundments located on abandoned hardrock mine and mineral processing sites.
This bulletin discusses common problems in the disposal of tailings at mines, quarries and other industries, and identifies safe methods of designing and operating dams and impoundments. The problems encountered at the end of operations when it becomes desirable to end tailings dam construction and it is necessary to rehabilitate the dam and its impoundment to make it permanently safe and environmentally acceptable are discussed and a final chapter describes some of the governmental regulations controlling tailings dams in some countries.
This bulletin provides references to publications written up until 1989 on tailings dams. It divides the references into the following categories: Tailings Sources; Deposition and Disposal Techniques; Safety and Failures; Stability of Tailings Embankments including Seismic Aspects; Material Properties and Evaluation; Legal Aspects; Site Selection and Investigation; Tailings Transportation; Drainage, Seepage and Groundwater; Decants, Water Management; Pollution Control and Environmental Aspects; Closure and Rehabilitation:Monitoring; Instrumentation; Vegetation; Reworking Existing Deposits; General.
This bulletin deals with: Location of dams, Site investigation, Design, Construction and operation, Closure and abandonment
This bulletin is intended primarily for the use of the Regulatory Agencies responsible for the safety of tailings dams, both structurally and environmentally. However, it is also intended to assist the mine operator in understanding the measures that must be adopted to ensure that his tailings dam is safe, both during operation and after rehabilitation. Finally, it should also benefit those individuals or organizations involved in the design, construction, operation, and rehabilitation of tailings dams.
A tailings impoundment failure case history database has been developed. In addition to an overview of this database, the basic features of a number of specific case histories are presented that provide valuable lessons to the industry. From the overall database, failure modes, failure impacts, and failure frequency are identified. The review of failure modes shows that most events can be attributed to easily preventable causes -a disappointing conclusion but one that offers a readily identifiable solution. The review of failure impacts indicates the large scale of immediate economic losses and expensive longer-term harm resulting from tailings dam failures. The paper shows there are clear trends that arise from objectively reviewing tailings dam failure case histories. Understanding these trends greatly assists in enhancing design, construction, operation and closure stewardship of mine tailings facilities. As demonstrated by a review of case histories, an ignorance of past failure events and the lessons offered by these events can be highly contributory to subsequent failures.
The Tronox KZN Sands Hillendale Mine is located in Zululand close to Richards Bay. Mining activities commenced in 2001 and the mines production came to an end in 2013. At Hillendale, dunes with a high fines content were mined to recover the valuable minerals of ilmenite Zircon and rutile. The fine fraction consisting mainly of fine clay minerals was managed by storage in a residue storage facility (RSF). Following the cessation of mining activities several actions have been implemented towards achieving mine closure. This paper will firstly give some basic background on the operation of the residue facility as part of the Hillendale Mine. Secondly the paper will focus on mine closure activities planned and implemented at the RSF. The learnings and experience gained from the Hillendale Mine will form the basis of future closure plans for RSFs operated as part of Tronoxs newly established mine at Fairbreeze.