Tailings Management

• Our Approach

  Lundin is committed to the safe and responsible management of tailings facilities, to emergency preparedness and response, to post-incident recovery, to compliance with applicable legislative and regulatory requirements, permit conditions, and to our Code of Conduct, Ethical Values and Anti-Corruption Policy.

  Lundin Mining employs a comprehensive and integrated approach to tailings management. This provides us with confidence that potential safety, environmental and social impacts can be reliably identified and minimized.  Efficient mining and mineral processing, along with disposal underground where practicable, allow our operations to minimize the quantities of tailings stored on surface. Our operations aim to minimize associated risk with a clear understanding of the tailings characteristics, the facility construction materials, and the final settings in which they are placed.

  

   

• Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management

  Lundin Mining is committed to the implementation of the GISTM, which is the first global standard on tailings management.  The RMMS Tailings Management Standard was updated in 2021, and the Responsible Mining Policy was updated in 2022 to align with the GISTM requirements.

  Formal external GISTM gap assessments and audits were completed throughout 2022 and 2023.  Corporate and operation-level implementation action plans were developed based on the results of the gap assessments and audits.

  Lundin Mining has retained an external auditor to perform ongoing GISTM conformance assessments for all tailings facilities.  These assessments have been performed in accordance with the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) Conformance Protocols GISTM issued in May 2021.  Lundin Mining is pleased to confirm that both the active Los Diques tailings facility at Candelaria and the active tailings facility at Chapada are in full conformance with the GISTM. 

  Learn more:

  • Candelaria Los Diques Tailings Facility GISTM Public Disclosure Report
  • Chapada Tailings Facility GISTM Public Disclosure Report

  We are working to demonstrate full conformance for our active tailings facility at Neves-Corvo in 2023. The two tailings facilities at our recently acquired Caserones mine will conform with the GISTM in 2024. Our active tailings facilities at Eagle and Zinkgruvan, which are classified as lower-consequence facilities, will conform with the GISTM in 2025 along with all other applicable inactive/closed facilities.

   

  

  • Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management
  • Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management

• Our Facilities

  Lundin Mining operates six mines with seven active tailings facilities and uses two widely accepted methods of tailings disposal:

  1. underground disposal involves mixing tailings with products, such as sand or cement, followed by disposal as a paste backfill or hydraulic backfill in previously mined areas of underground mines; and
  2. surface disposal involves placement in engineered surface impoundments or, in the case of Eagle, in a previously mined open pit.

  Of the six Lundin Mining operations, Eagle Mine is the only operation that does not have a constructed tailings impoundment with dams.  Across the other operations, the active tailings facilities use various construction techniques for the main and secondary or perimeter dams. Lundin Mining also maintains and monitors six inactive/closed tailings facilities, one of which is a rockfill combination centreline and downstream design followed by rockfill upstream raises and buttresses (Enemossen tailings facility at Zinkgruvan).

  All tailings facilities are operated or closed as per the currently approved design. Full and complete engineering records including design, construction, operation, maintenance and/or closure exist for all tailings facilities except for the inactive Enemossen facility at Zinkgruvan, and the closed San Esteban and Ojos del Salado facilities at Candelaria. San Esteban has an updated detailed design closure plan and the three Ojos del Salado tailings facilities are legacy sites that ceased operations in the 1960s. The Ojos del Salado tailings facilities were fully closed in 2012 as per an approved engineered closure plan.

  A full list of tailings facilities that Lundin Mining manages, including information on tailings management, construction method, maximum dam height and volume, can be found in our Tailings Management Information Sheet.

  • Our Facilities

• Tailings Management

  Surface tailings impoundments can represent some of the most significant safety and environmental related risks for the mining industry. Lundin Mining takes considerable care to ensure our tailings facilities have robust and resilient designs, built in accordance with leading industry practices and standards, well operated and maintained, inspected, independently reviewed, and carefully monitored.

   

  

  Policies and Standards

  Lundin Mining’s Responsible Mining Policy and Responsible Mining Management System (RMMS) include tailings specific principles and standards. All Lundin Mining’s operations manage their tailings in accordance with the Tailings Management Standard, updated in 2021 to align to the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM).  The updated Tailings Management Standard requires that for all tailings facilities throughout the entire lifecycle, from planning and design, construction, operation, closure, and post-closure, implementation of leading practices will be carried out to ensure:

  • Zero harm to people and the environment;
  • All aspects comply with Lundin Mining policies and standards and accepted international practice;
  • All aspects comply with commitments to stakeholders; and
  • Leadership, personal commitment, and accountability from all employees, consultants, and contractors is embedded throughout all aspects of tailings management.

  

   

  Goverance

  Lundin’s oversight of all tailings facilities includes a three lines model. The first line starts with the operational management and engineering teams at the sites.

  At the corporate level, Lundin Mining has a specialized tailings team, which serves as a dedicated technical resource for the site operators and engineers and serves as the second line. The corporate team does not have day-to-day operating pressures and exists to provide assurance and technical leadership related to tailings management.

  For assurance, the corporate team manages the Independent Tailings Review Board (ITRB) program and works closely with the sites and external Engineers of Records to make sure any recommended actions are completed in a timely manner. This team develops guidance and tools that support consistent implementation of the Tailings Management Standard across the company. The team also stays abreast of current and emerging technologies and leading international practices around tailings facility design and management. The corporate team provides advice to the sites and supports the Accountable Executive by communicating on assurance activities and any findings as well as preparing Board materials.

  As a third line, the corporate team arranges audits to verify consistent implementation and conformance with the Tailings Management Standard including the relevant management systems to assure effectiveness.

  Monitoring and Surveillance

  A requirement of the Tailings Management Standard is for all operations to conduct regular geotechnical, hydrogeological, and environmental monitoring to meet regulatory requirements and prevent the uncontrolled release of tailings and/or water to the environment.

  All operations employ monitoring and surveillance systems which may include surface prisms, piezometers, inclinometers, remote sensing and other technologies to monitor tailings dams and water levels. Trigger action response plans (TARPs) provide clear guidance on how to respond to pre-determined trigger levels for surveillance activities.

  All tailings facilities have a closure plan which includes long-term monitoring requirements. The monitoring plan for the closed Ojos del Salado tailings facilities was reviewed in 2021 and additional dam safety instrumentation was installed.

  Responsible Tailings Facility Engineer

  All operations are required to identify a responsible person to ensure ownership and proper management of the tailings facility. The Responsible Tailings Facility Engineer (RTFE) ensures procedures for each facility, including an Operating, Maintenance, and Surveillance (OMS) Manual and Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan, are regularly documented, and made available to operations personnel. The responsible person is an appropriately qualified, experienced, and site-dedicated individual employed directly by the operation.

  Staff Inspections

  Tailings dams are regularly inspected by trained operators and technical staff, sometimes as frequently as several times daily, with formal documented staff inspections at least quarterly.

   

  

  Engineer of Record

  Each tailings facility has an appropriately qualified, licensed, and experienced third-party geotechnical engineer to act as an Engineer of Record in the relative jurisdiction.

  Dam Safety Inspections

  Formal dam safety inspections are conducted at least annually by the Engineer of Record, and reports are issued to the RTFE for action on recommendations.

  Dam Safety Reviews

  Independent dam safety reviews are conducted by qualified multi-disciplinary technical specialists as frequently as every five years.

  Independent Tailings Review Boards

  A component of the Tailings Management Standard is the requirement for regular independent third-party tailings review boards, which are recognized as a leading practice for effective tailings management.

  ITRBs were established for all tailings facilities in 2022. In addition to the annual site visit, online progress meetings with the ITRBs and Engineer of Record are completed throughout the year to closely track progress made on outstanding recommendations.