Tantallon have developed a Smart Mining offering that specifically addresses the complex challenges of managing the risk associated with Tailing Dam installations. We have taken the global standards from the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) and replicated them within our Risk Management platform, digitising an Operator's ability to assess and therefore manage the risk of their Tailings installations.
In January 2019, the Brumadinho Tailings Dam in Brazil collapsed, with the catastrophic loss of 270 lives, with the Operator losing US$ 19Bn in market value. Post the official investigation, the Operator was mandated to repair all environmental damage and to pay a US$ 7Bn fine. Sadly, this is only one of 10 such Tailings Dam failures since 2015.
The Brumadinho disaster was truly a tragic incident, however, this has led to strengthening of resolve within the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM), as well as the Canadian Dam Association (CDA) and the Australian National Committee on Large Dams (ANCOLD).
With all members of ICMM expected to implement their Mining Principles as a condition of membership, the subsequent enhancements to this documentation set will hopefully see Tailings Dam Safety & Sustainability increase dramatically over the coming years.
A key consideration for any Operator is to identify the various new elements within the ICMM Policy Framework and understand how they can move to a fully compliant position. This involves a 3 step process, which is also aligned to the ISO 31000 Risk Management standards:
- Identify existing compliance position of a Tailings Facility against the ICMM Policy Framework to understand the gaps
- Involve the Board to secure funding for a conformance program to ensure that the Operator becomes compliant
- Put a Risk Management operational framework & digital platform in place to ensure that compliance is preserved over time
Tantallon are able to assist with all 3 of the above steps, using our partner network to assist Operators in the global Tailings locations, to drive the identification, mitigation and control projects to de-risk your Tailings Facility.
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