Chapter 1
Introduction
1.1 The Context
The future success of the mining industry is dependent on its ability to gain the
trust of a wide range of stakeholders in order to obtain its social license to develop
and operate (Social License to Operate (SLO) (https://www.riskope.com/2015/09/
24/big-players-beware/)) mines while remaining competitive, profitable and fostering Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) (https://www.riskope.com/2015/05/21/
ethics-in-mining-oil-and-other-natural-resources-fields/). Our discussion of twentyfirst-century tailings dams management starts with a dispassionate look at four major
recent failures, revealing the gaps that will make it possible to develop twenty-firstcentury tailings dams management programs that are sustainable, reasonable, rational
and add value to mining project and the industry as a whole.
While tailings management is only one of many major and oftentimes competing
issues that must be addressed to ensure long-term success and sustainability,
recent history has shown that the mining industry has yet to achieve the level of
winning-back-public-trust-require-drastic-overhaul-of-risk-assessments-commonpractice/) and trust required to eliminate catastrophic dam failures and reach the
industry’s overarching goal. New methods—including dry paste, co-mingled, and
whatever technology will be developed in the future—will not necessarily reduce
risks. Indeed, in the last year or so, we have already reviewed new projects including
some of these technologies that “take more risks” as the materials are deemed
superior to standard deposition methods ones. This is a never-ending loop requiring
the greatest attention to avoid future sorrow.
As a result, in October 2017 the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) in
Geneva released a UNEP-GRID Arendal assessment report entitled “Mine Tailings
Storage: Safety Is No Accident” (Roche et al. 2017). The report urges States and the
industry to end deadly and damaging mining waste spills by adopting a zero-failure
objective.
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
F. Oboni and C. Oboni, Tailings Dam Management for the Twenty-First Century,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-19447-5_1
1
Introduction
1.1 The Context
The future success of the mining industry is dependent on its ability to gain the
trust of a wide range of stakeholders in order to obtain its social license to develop
and operate (Social License to Operate (SLO) (https://www.riskope.com/2015/09/
24/big-players-beware/)) mines while remaining competitive, profitable and fostering Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) (https://www.riskope.com/2015/05/21/
ethics-in-mining-oil-and-other-natural-resources-fields/). Our discussion of twentyfirst-century tailings dams management starts with a dispassionate look at four major
recent failures, revealing the gaps that will make it possible to develop twenty-firstcentury tailings dams management programs that are sustainable, reasonable, rational
and add value to mining project and the industry as a whole.
While tailings management is only one of many major and oftentimes competing
issues that must be addressed to ensure long-term success and sustainability,
recent history has shown that the mining industry has yet to achieve the level of
winning-back-public-trust-require-drastic-overhaul-of-risk-assessments-commonpractice/) and trust required to eliminate catastrophic dam failures and reach the
industry’s overarching goal. New methods—including dry paste, co-mingled, and
whatever technology will be developed in the future—will not necessarily reduce
risks. Indeed, in the last year or so, we have already reviewed new projects including
some of these technologies that “take more risks” as the materials are deemed
superior to standard deposition methods ones. This is a never-ending loop requiring
the greatest attention to avoid future sorrow.
As a result, in October 2017 the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) in
Geneva released a UNEP-GRID Arendal assessment report entitled “Mine Tailings
Storage: Safety Is No Accident” (Roche et al. 2017). The report urges States and the
industry to end deadly and damaging mining waste spills by adopting a zero-failure
objective.
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
F. Oboni and C. Oboni, Tailings Dam Management for the Twenty-First Century,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-19447-5_1
1