104:
123:
360:
308:
266:
224:
22:
373:
of tailings dams and the ensuing release of toxic metals in the environment is a great concern. The standard of public reporting on tailings dam incidents is poor. A large number remain completely unreported, or lack basic facts when reported. There is no comprehensive database for historic failures.
162:
in the impoundment. The downstream design refers to the successive raising of the embankment that positions the fill and crest further downstream. A centerlined dam has sequential embankment dams constructed directly on top of another while fill is placed on the downstream side for support and slurry
86:
An estimated 3,500 active tailings impoundments stand around the world, although there is no complete inventory, and the total number is disputed. In an average year, it would be expected that between two and five "major" tailings dam failures would occur, along with 35 "minor" failures. Assuming the
114:
Unlike water retention dams, the height of a tailings dam is typically increased (raised) throughout the life of the particular mine. Typically, a base or starter dam is constructed, and as it fills with a mixture of tailings and water, it is raised. Material used to raise the dam can include the
673:
Environmental issues and management of waste in energy and mineral production: Proceedings of the Sixth
International Conference on Environmental Issues and Management of Waste in Energy and Mineral Production: SWEMP 2000; Calgary, Alberta, Canada, May 30 – June 2,
63:
in
Alberta, Canada, is an embankment dam about 18 kilometres (11 mi) long and from 40 to 88 metres (131 to 289 ft) high. The dam and the artificial lake within it are constructed and maintained as part of ongoing operations by
374:
According to mining engineer David M Chambers of the Center for
Science in Public Participation, 10,000 years is "a conservative estimate" of how long most tailings dams will need to maintain structural integrity.
833:
157:
embankments being constructed on top but toe to crest of another, moving the crest further upstream. This creates a relatively flat downstream side and a jagged upstream side which is supported by tailings
56:
can be liquid, solid, or a slurry of fine particles, and are usually highly toxic and potentially radioactive. Solid tailings are often used as part of the structure itself.
87:
3,500 figure is correct, this failure rate is "more than two orders of magnitude higher than the failure rate of conventional water retention dams". A 2020 assessment of
460:
832:
David M Chambers, "Long Term Risk of
Releasing Potentially Acid Producing Waste Due to Tailings Dam Failure". Center for Science in Public Participation. Page 3 of 12.
635:
119:
to be incorporated into tailings dams. Impermeable barriers can prevent or reduce seepage thereby increasing the geotechnical and environmental stability of the dam.
103:
72:; it is the largest dam structure on earth by volume, and as of 2001 it was believed to be the largest earth structure in the world by volume of fill.
719:
708:
797:
519:
482:
83:
and other mining operations produce varied kinds of waste, much of it toxic, which pose varied challenges for long-term containment.
686:
594:
384:
172:
149:, named according to the relative position of the new crest of the dam to the previous. The specific design used is dependent upon
122:
434:
642:
107:
115:
tailings (if their properties are suitable), earthfill, or rockfill. It is increasingly common for barrier systems such as
95:, found that companies have made little or no progress in improving the documentation and safety practices of these ponds.
79:. Tailings dams are designed for permanent containment, meaning they are intended to "remain there forever". Copper, gold,
92:
754:
671:
461:"Story of a shattered life: A single childhood incident pushed Dawn Crey into a downward spiral – Vancouver Sun"
582:
409:
363:
359:
850:
744:
Estimate based on height, dimensions from Google Earth and, where available, cross section. Accuracy ±15%
855:
257:
215:
60:
25:
352:
69:
556:
808:
530:
370:
88:
730:
D. Nicol (1994) "The
Syncrude Mildred Lake Tailings Dyke Redesign", 18th Int. Congr. Large Dams.
682:
590:
21:
76:
493:
153:, geology, climate, the type of tailings, and cost. An upstream tailings dam consists of
41:
658:
844:
589:. Paris, France: International Council on Metals and the Environment. pp. 9–10.
313:
29:
116:
342:
TE – Earth; ER – Rock-fill; PG – Concrete gravity; CFRD – Concrete face rock fill
618:
150:
126:
678:
154:
389:
130:
65:
59:
Tailings dams rank among the largest engineered structures on earth. The
53:
80:
75:
There are key differences between tailings dams and the more familiar
415:. Swedish Mining Association, Natur Vards Verket, European Commission
299:
271:
229:
159:
49:
777:
Estimate based on structure volume and dimensions from Google Earth
44:
used to store byproducts of mining operations after separating the
358:
121:
110:
installation on the base and walls of a tailings storage facility.
102:
20:
798:"Tailings Dam Failures: A Review of the Last One Hundred Years"
520:"Tailings Dam Failures: A Review of the Last One Hundred Years"
45:
755:"Microsoft Word – Baseline Report on Fluid Deposits revE"
720:
Talk:List of largest dams in the world#Structure Volume
624:(Report). ICOLD Committee on Tailings Dams. p. 91.
641:. NBK Institute of Mining Engineering. Archived from
435:"Tailings Dams: Where Mining Waste is Stored Forever"
709:
Talk:List of largest dams in the world#Phantom Dams
659:
http://mining.ubc.ca/files/2013/03/Dirk-van-Zyl.pdf
410:"Geotechnics and Mine Waste Management – Update"
408:Morgenstern, Norbert R. (19–20 September 2001).
8:
786:Zero reservoir size because full of tailings
483:"Trends in the stewardship of tailings dams"
740:
738:
736:
617:McLeod, Harvey; Bjelkevik, Annika (2021).
179:
796:Azam, Shahad; Li, Qiren (December 2010).
518:Azam, Shahad; Li, Qiren (December 2010).
137:There are three types of dam raises, the
400:
619:TAILINGS DAM DESIGN Technology Update
177:The largest three tailings dams are:
7:
557:"Thematic Results | RMI Report 2020"
587:Case studies on tailings management
61:Syncrude Mildred Lake Tailings Dyke
459:Culbert, Lori (24 November 2001).
14:
385:Oil sands tailings ponds (Canada)
173:List of largest dams in the world
351:This section is an excerpt from
306:
264:
222:
583:"Construction of Tailings Dams"
561:2020.responsibleminingindex.org
1:
681:: Balkema. pp. 257–260.
636:"Properties of Tailings Dams"
93:Responsible Mining Foundation
670:Raj K. Singhal, ed. (2000).
581:Blight, Geoffrey E. (1998).
163:supports the upstream side.
89:responsible mining practices
481:Martin, T.E.; Davies, M.P.
68:in extracting oil from the
40:is typically an earth-fill
872:
350:
170:
302:Mission Mine Tailings Dam
203:
200:
197:
194:
364:Brumadinho dam disaster
367:
134:
111:
108:Bituminous geomembrane
33:
362:
258:Syncrude Tailings Dam
216:Syncrude Tailings Dam
125:
106:
26:Syncrude Tailings Dam
24:
353:Tailings dam failure
814:on 26 November 2013
536:on 26 November 2013
499:on 21 November 2011
204:Installed capacity
129:Tailings Dam, West
70:Athabasca oil sands
371:structural failure
368:
135:
112:
77:hydroelectric dams
34:
648:on 1 October 2011
337:
336:
201:Reservoir volume
198:Structure volume
195:Structure height
863:
836:
830:
824:
823:
821:
819:
813:
807:. Archived from
805:www.infomine.com
802:
793:
787:
784:
778:
775:
769:
768:
766:
764:
759:
751:
745:
742:
731:
728:
722:
717:
711:
706:
700:
699:
697:
695:
667:
661:
657:
655:
653:
647:
640:
632:
626:
625:
623:
614:
608:
607:
605:
603:
578:
572:
571:
569:
567:
552:
546:
545:
543:
541:
535:
529:. Archived from
527:www.infomine.com
524:
515:
509:
508:
506:
504:
498:
492:. Archived from
490:www.infomine.com
487:
478:
472:
471:
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467:
456:
450:
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447:
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431:
425:
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420:
414:
405:
312:
310:
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270:
268:
267:
228:
226:
225:
180:
871:
870:
866:
865:
864:
862:
861:
860:
841:
840:
839:
831:
827:
817:
815:
811:
800:
795:
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776:
772:
762:
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752:
748:
743:
734:
729:
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664:
651:
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638:
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629:
621:
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554:
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398:
381:
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375:
356:
348:
307:
305:
265:
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223:
221:
175:
169:
101:
17:
12:
11:
5:
869:
867:
859:
858:
853:
843:
842:
838:
837:
825:
788:
779:
770:
746:
732:
723:
712:
701:
687:
662:
627:
609:
595:
573:
555:Antistatique.
547:
510:
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192:Year completed
190:
187:
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168:
165:
100:
97:
42:embankment dam
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
868:
857:
854:
852:
851:Tailings dams
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835:
829:
826:
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799:
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747:
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733:
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690:
688:90-5809-085-X
684:
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637:
631:
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596:1-895720-29-X
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314:United States
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57:
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31:
30:Fort McMurray
27:
23:
19:
856:Dams by type
828:
816:. Retrieved
809:the original
804:
791:
782:
773:
761:. Retrieved
749:
726:
715:
704:
692:. Retrieved
672:
665:
650:. Retrieved
643:the original
630:
612:
600:. Retrieved
586:
576:
564:. Retrieved
560:
550:
538:. Retrieved
531:the original
526:
513:
501:. Retrieved
494:the original
489:
476:
464:. Retrieved
454:
442:. Retrieved
438:
429:
417:. Retrieved
403:
339:
338:
260:Mildred SWSS
218:Mildred MLSB
176:
146:
142:
138:
136:
117:geomembranes
113:
85:
74:
58:
38:tailings dam
37:
35:
18:
763:16 February
155:trapezoidal
16:Type of dam
845:Categories
694:9 November
466:28 January
444:28 January
396:References
171:See also:
151:topography
147:centerline
143:downstream
127:Wheal Jane
679:Rotterdam
652:10 August
602:10 August
439:FRONTLINE
133:, England
99:Structure
48:from the
32:, Alberta
834:CSP2.org
566:16 April
419:27 April
390:Ash pond
379:See also
346:Concerns
139:upstream
131:Cornwall
66:Syncrude
54:Tailings
818:30 July
540:30 July
503:30 July
366:in 2019
240:540/720
189:Country
167:Largest
91:by the
81:uranium
685:
593:
311:
300:ASARCO
272:Canada
269:
230:Canada
227:
160:slurry
50:gangue
812:(PDF)
801:(PDF)
758:(PDF)
646:(PDF)
639:(PDF)
622:(PDF)
534:(PDF)
523:(PDF)
497:(PDF)
486:(PDF)
413:(PDF)
340:Type:
279:40–50
207:Type
820:2020
765:2011
696:2015
683:ISBN
674:2000
654:2011
604:2011
591:ISBN
568:2021
542:2020
505:2020
468:2019
446:2019
421:2014
369:The
324:40.1
318:1973
285:0.25
276:2010
243:0.35
234:1995
186:Name
183:Rank
145:and
333:ER
291:TE
282:119
249:TE
46:ore
847::
803:.
735:^
677:.
585:.
559:.
525:.
488:.
437:.
330:NA
321:30
288:NA
246:NA
237:88
141:,
52:.
36:A
28:,
822:.
767:.
698:.
656:.
606:.
570:.
544:.
507:.
470:.
448:.
423:.
355:.
327:0
296:3
254:2
212:1
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
