A SPATE of deadly tailings dam accidents and the identification of two BHP tailings dams as being at “extreme risk” have prompted Minerals Council of Australia (MCA) members to release the Australian Mining Tailings Communique, aimed at addressing tailings best practice in Australian industry.
The document comes months after Rio Tinto and BHP both identified risks relating mines at home and abroad, and after the first wave of criminal charges were laid against Vale executives following the Brumadinho disaster that killed more than 200 people.
The Communique consolidates the industry’s view around best practice of a particularly sensitive issue, and was developed after discussions by MCA members at a workshop earlier in the year which focused on training, research and governance.
It acknowledges Australia’s role in the global effort to develop guidelines and standards.
The MCA has put itself forward as the platform for information sharing, identification of best practice and its dissemination, stakeholder engagement, and for developing and reinforcing transparency about tailings dam technologies and miners’ command of them.
“This contribution should ensure that the global minerals industry rises to the challenge of having the best possible systems, culture and technology, while remaining vigilant and ready to respond quickly and effectively,” it said.
In a release, the MCA said that while tailings management in Australia was highly regulated and at the fore of industry best practice, it was important that proactive steps are taken.
“There is no room for complacency. Honest and transparent communication and engagement with the workforce, host communities, governments, investors and other stakeholders is central to the industry’s approach,” it said.
