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Tailings Management

Tailings management is the practice of safely storing, handling and monitoring the waste material left over after valuable minerals have been extracted from ore during mining and mineral processing operations. Tailings typically consist of finely ground rock, water and residual chemicals used in flotation, leaching or other separation processes, and are usually stored in purpose-built tailings storage facilities, dams or dry-stack repositories. Effective tailings management is critical to preventing environmental contamination, dam failures and long-term liabilities, particularly in large-scale operations producing copper, gold, iron ore, nickel, lithium and rare earths. The discipline encompasses facility design, geotechnical stability, water management, chemical containment, seepage control and closure planning. Regulatory frameworks in most mining jurisdictions require operators to demonstrate robust tailings governance, conduct regular risk assessments and implement monitoring systems to detect structural weaknesses or environmental breaches. Advances in tailings management include thickened and paste tailings technologies, which reduce water content and improve stability, as well as dry stacking and reprocessing to recover residual metals and reduce the footprint of storage facilities. The sector has come under increased scrutiny following high-profile dam failures in recent years, prompting the development of the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management, a framework backed by investors, regulators and industry bodies to raise safety and accountability standards worldwide.

Tailings Management News


Prospectors and environmental analysts looking at an area of ground in Senegal
Gold mine receives environmental go-ahead
10th July 2026 By: Halima Frost

An environmental decree from Senegal’s Ministry of Environment and Ecological Transition was awarded to precious metals miner Fortuna Mining last month, thereby approving the environmental- and... 


A night view of the gold major Newmont’s Ahafo North project in Ghana
African mining sustainability gaining traction
10th July 2026 By: Halima Frost

Despite some impressive sustainability gains in the mining sector over the past decade, sustainable mining industry body ICMM CEO Rohitesh Dhawan says progress in Africa displays inconsistencies... 


FLS partners with miners across the full lifecycle of operations
FLS Strengthens Its African Mining Strategy Ahead of Electra Mining Africa 2026
24th June 2026

As mining operations across Africa continue to focus on productivity, improved sustainability and operational efficiency, FLS is strengthening its regional strategy through closer customer... 


LIFE CYCLE PLANNING Water balances should be dynamic and site-wide with forecasting abilities for life-of-facility
Water balance management proving key for sustainability
1st May 2026 By: Donna Slater

Growing international pressure – driven by risks and liabilities for parent companies and shareholders – is driving accountability and a move toward mining companies developing and adopting more... 


FLS - Empowering the future of mining
FLS - Empowering the future of mining
24th April 2026

Mining services provider FLS empowers mining companies to maximise recovery rates from declining ore grades while advancing safety and sustainability. The company’s full flowsheet technologies and... 


head and shoulders shot of Johan
Jagersfontein failure sees strict oversight
17th April 2026 By: Devina Haripersad

The September 2022 Jagersfontein tailings dam failure marked a shift in South Africa’s regulatory approach to tailings management and a move from compliance-based oversight to enforcement-driven... 


Anglo American's tailings dam
GISTM gaining traction
17th April 2026 By: Devina Haripersad

An official tailings progress report from mining and metals advocacy group ICMM, published in November 2025, shows that 67% of 836 of its member tailings storage facilities (TSFs) in Africa were... 


Efficient and sustainable tailings management starts with the right cyclone
Efficient and sustainable tailings management starts with the right cyclone
7th April 2026

(Virtual Showroom) Tailings management is a significant challenge for the mining industry, and it is under more scrutiny than ever, as global industry standards call for safer, more sustainable... 


FLS - Empowering the future of mining
FLS - Empowering the future of mining
30th January 2026

Mining services provider FLS empowers mining companies to maximise recovery rates from declining ore grades while advancing safety and sustainability. The company’s full flowsheet technologies and... 


SLR
SLR Consulting supports responsible mining from concept to operation
30th January 2026

Sustainability solutions consultancy SLR Consulting partners with mining and investment clients around the world, providing integrated technical, advisory and sustainability solutions across the... 


a leeching tailings dam showing errossion
GISTM conformance taking longer than expected
21st November 2025

Mining and metals industry organisation ICMM’s November-published Tailings Progress Report reveals that, while significant progress has been made, achieving full alignment with the Global Industry... 


a group of scientists and geologists in a high tech lab
Firm embraces tailings framework
21st November 2025 By: Halima Frost

The ever-increasing need to conform to the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM) framework has been embraced by engineering and scientific consultancy SRK Consulting South Africa... 


An image of DRDGold's tailings facility
ICMM report shows full GISTM conformance lagging
5th November 2025 By: Tasneem Bulbulia

Mining and metals advocacy group the ICMM has published its Tailings Progress Report, which sets out the progress its members have made in implementing the Global Industry Standard on Tailings... 


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