Mitigating Mining’s Environmental Impact With Technology

Traditionally, tailings dam monitoring has been a tedious, manual process with mixed results. Mine operators bore holes along the dam surrounding the tailings storage facility (TSF), then periodically visited those spots to take measurements.

Experts Discuss Tailings and Innovative Monitoring Technologies

Huge thanks to Antonio Caires, Henrique Alves, and Sean Hinchberger for contributing to such a dynamic and informative discussion. With over 50 years’ experience between them, we had a lot to learn from their insights related to current trends as well as developing technologies that could make TSFs safer, more secure, and more sustainable going forwards.

Extracting Useable Minerals from Mining Waste in Tailings Dams

In order to reach the mineral resources, miners must first remove layers of topsoil and waste rock from the ground, and when extraction is more or less complete, you are left with a liquid slurry called ‘tailings’ that must also be disposed.