Abstract
The sudden failure of the dormant iron ore tailings storage facility (TSF) near Brumadinho, Brazil, on January 25, 2019, the tragic loss of 270 lives, and subsequent regulatory, societal, and mining industry responses hold important implications for the planning and operation of tailings harvesting at surface, for mining backfill.
This paper describes some of the new responsibilities for tailings harvesting schemes, with particular focus on the risks, safety, and stability of TSFs as harvesting takes place. GISTM 2020, ICMM 2021 and several associated publications require more detailed scrutiny of risk, free prior and informed consent for stakeholders, renewed attention to assessment of potential liquefaction, slope stability, management of surface water, risk-informed design and new environmental, health and safety precautions for operators.