“Tailings are nothing more than ground rock mixed with an aqueous solution,” explained Dr. Jacques Wiertz at the opening ceremony of the International Congress on Tailings Management, organized by Gecamin, where he presented as co-organizer of SMI-ICE-Chile at the event. “In just a few minutes, we are doing what nature takes millions of years to accomplish, and we are depositing this material in a place where geologically it should never have been, defying the geological principles of physical and chemical stability.”
“Tailings generate concern, fear, and an almost universal rejection,” he added. «It remains one of the greatest challenges facing mining in terms of sustainability. Aware of this, and in response to the Brumadinho tragedy, which brought the issue of tailings dam safety to the forefront, the international GISTM standard emerged. Its main pillars are the comprehensive management of dams, in all stages, from design to closure and in all aspects related to physical stability, chemical stability, water management, strengthening governance, transparency, and effective communication with neighboring communities.»
Jacques Wiertz mentioned the projects SMI-ICE-Chile is developing, in collaboration with colleagues from the University of Queensland, to address the challenges of tailings management: solutions for tailings generation, such as the «Ore Sands» project; transformation of tailings into granular material using solar energy; solutions to curb the generation of acid drainage through the microencapsulation of pyrite; and efforts to improve management and transparency, integrating everything from social aspects to passive solutions for closure and rehabilitation.
“This comprehensive approach we want to promote, in line with the provisions of the GISTM, is not reflected in the new tailings dam regulations recently adopted in Chile,” he stated. “We believe a great opportunity was missed and that Chile, which had long been a clear leader in tailings regulation, lagged behind and failed to align its regulations with the comprehensive vision of the GISTM, currently widely accepted by the mining sector. All aspects of design, construction, and operation related to the chemical stability of dams, as well as the integration of closure from the design stage, were left out of the regulations. While a somewhat forced effort was made to integrate the reprocessing of old tailings into the regulations, the issue of environmental liabilities is not effectively addressed.
We believe there are many outstanding challenges in tailings management, and we are convinced that this conference represents a significant contribution toward comprehensive and more sustainable tailings management, through the exchange of experiences and best practices and the presentation of new technologies for management, monitoring, and risk control. While the idea of a future without tailings has been raised, where all produced materials can be recovered in one way or another, the truth is that it remains an elusive dream… in the meantime, we will continue to face the challenges of tailings management, requiring greater safety throughout the entire mining cycle.”
