270
17 Path Forward
• bringing together the body of knowledge developed globally for each alternative
deposition method;
• identifying and funding areas requiring further research or study; and
• developing technical guidances and leading practices for their design and operation.
For the longer term, it is difficult to identify what organization or what group of
organizations will accept the challenge of moving aggressively towards the development of a comprehensive and leading-edge TRF. Unfortunately, this may have to
wait for the next catastrophic failure. To prepare for that eventuality, useful progress
could be made on focused priorities, which should be to:
• define the principles and standards of practice to be expected of a company’s
board of directors and provide appropriate protocols to guide and measure their
implementation;
• prepare a guidance document to support the application of critical control methodology to the identification and management of critical tailings dam risks;
• define the principles, standards of practice and protocols required to guide an
annual validation of the integrity of a tailings dam design, the adherence of the
company to its regulatory and internal requirements and the implementation and
maintenance of its critical control procedures;
• develop a model of a comprehensive and integrated assurance and reporting program that supports the needs of companies, governments and public.
Work must now start on the next round of incremental changes. We hope that this
text will have dispelled any complacencies that lead to the belief the current situation
is satisfactory and show the “way out” of common practices.
In fact, as this book was going to print, the tailings dam failure at Córrego do
Feijão mine, Brumadinho (https://www.mindat.org/loc-145710.html), Minas Gerais
(https://www.mindat.org/loc-387.html), Brazil took place, lending even greater
urgency to the need to take the proper steps.
It is also hoped that many of our readers will work towards the further development
and implementation of some of the ideas within their own organizations and the
associations to which their organizations belong.
Finally, corporate tailings policy leading practice would require that the corporate
tailings governance policy include commitments to:
• locate, design, construct, operate, and close tailings facilities in a manner that
provides an acceptable level of protection for the safety, health, and welfare of the
public and the environment;
• implement a tailings governance framework management system based the ISO
14001 environmental management standard or equivalent;
• utilize robust risk management systems and processes to identify and mitigate
material risks;
• implement comprehensive change management and emergency preparedness and
response plans;
17 Path Forward
• bringing together the body of knowledge developed globally for each alternative
deposition method;
• identifying and funding areas requiring further research or study; and
• developing technical guidances and leading practices for their design and operation.
For the longer term, it is difficult to identify what organization or what group of
organizations will accept the challenge of moving aggressively towards the development of a comprehensive and leading-edge TRF. Unfortunately, this may have to
wait for the next catastrophic failure. To prepare for that eventuality, useful progress
could be made on focused priorities, which should be to:
• define the principles and standards of practice to be expected of a company’s
board of directors and provide appropriate protocols to guide and measure their
implementation;
• prepare a guidance document to support the application of critical control methodology to the identification and management of critical tailings dam risks;
• define the principles, standards of practice and protocols required to guide an
annual validation of the integrity of a tailings dam design, the adherence of the
company to its regulatory and internal requirements and the implementation and
maintenance of its critical control procedures;
• develop a model of a comprehensive and integrated assurance and reporting program that supports the needs of companies, governments and public.
Work must now start on the next round of incremental changes. We hope that this
text will have dispelled any complacencies that lead to the belief the current situation
is satisfactory and show the “way out” of common practices.
In fact, as this book was going to print, the tailings dam failure at Córrego do
Feijão mine, Brumadinho (https://www.mindat.org/loc-145710.html), Minas Gerais
(https://www.mindat.org/loc-387.html), Brazil took place, lending even greater
urgency to the need to take the proper steps.
It is also hoped that many of our readers will work towards the further development
and implementation of some of the ideas within their own organizations and the
associations to which their organizations belong.
Finally, corporate tailings policy leading practice would require that the corporate
tailings governance policy include commitments to:
• locate, design, construct, operate, and close tailings facilities in a manner that
provides an acceptable level of protection for the safety, health, and welfare of the
public and the environment;
• implement a tailings governance framework management system based the ISO
14001 environmental management standard or equivalent;
• utilize robust risk management systems and processes to identify and mitigate
material risks;
• implement comprehensive change management and emergency preparedness and
response plans;