TAILINGS MANAGEMENT
After the extraction of minerals from mines through mine operation, the remains are the by-products that are left behind called tailing. Tailing is a mixture that is made of water, processing agents, and sand to slit rocks sized particles. The tailings are produced through the milling process.
Tailings management in Canada refers to the specific policies, guidelines, and regulations that govern the handling and disposal of tailings in the Canadian mining industry. In Canada, tailings management is governed by a blend of federal and provincial regulations, as well as industry standards.
The federal government, through Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), play a part in tailings management by providing assistance and regulations to mining companies, as well as by conducting an investigation on new tailings management technologies and best practices. NRCan is accountable for overseeing mining operations in Canada and enforcing regulations that are designed to protect the environment, such as guidelines for the design and construction of tailings dams and impoundments.
In addition to the federal regulations, each province and territory in Canada has its own set of rules and guidelines for tailings management.
The mining industry in Canada also has its own standards and guidelines for tailings management, such as the Canadian Dam Association’s guidelines for the design, construction, and operation of tailings dams. These rules are intended to help mining companies comply with regulations and reduce the environmental impact of their operations.
Tailings management in Canada is a complicated and multi-faceted process that involves a blend of federal, provincial, and industry regulations, as well as guidelines and best practices. The goal of tailings management in Canada is to make sure that mining operations are conducted in a sustainable and environmentally responsible manner, while also safeguarding the health and safety of communities and the environment.
ENVIRONMENT
Tailings management is important for protecting the environment because it helps to decrease the potential for environmental damage from mining operations. Specifically, tailings management can help to avoid water pollution, decrease the risk of dam failure, reduce the environmental footprint of mining operations, assist to rehabilitate the land and also reduce the risk of acid mine drainage.
Tailings can include a variety of toxic chemicals and heavy metals, which can leak into nearby water sources if not correctly managed. Tailing management strategies, such as dry stacking or co-disposal, can help to stop water pollution by reducing the amount of water that encounters the tailings.
Tailings are often stored in large dams or impoundments, which can pose a risk of failure if not properly created and maintained. Tailings management strategies, such as dry stacking or in-pit disposal, can help to minimize the risk of dam failure by reducing the amount of water that needs to be saved and stored.
Traditional tailings management strategies, such as storing tailings in large dams or impoundments, can take up a significant amount of land and can have a significant impact on the local environment.
Tailings management can also play a role in rehabilitating the land after mining operations have been finished. For instance, by using bioremediation techniques to treat the tailings, or by using the tailings to create construction materials, the land can be returned to a more natural state and can be used for other functions.
Certain mineral ores, when exposed to air and water, can react and generate acid which can pollute nearby water bodies and make it impossible for plants and animals to survive. Tailings management strategies, such as water management and geo-synthetic solutions, can help to reduce the risk of acid mine drainage by preventing water from meeting the tailings, and by treating and reusing the water to reduce the impact on the environment.
RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) plays a role in tailings management by providing guidance and regulations to mining companies, as well as by conducting research on new tailings management technologies and best practices. Moreover, they cooperate with academia and industries to work towards the development of new waste management strategies.
The following are some benefits of these strategies:
- It can lead to improved environmental results and significant competitive advantages for Canadian natural resource sectors.
- It helps mitigate risks to the environment and human health and it also minimizes the time needed for long-term monitoring.
- The Green Mining Initiative explores waste management options by focusing research activities on the reduction of waste volume, reduction, and stabilization of contaminants in wastes, use of wastes as a resource, underground waste storage, and assessment of climate change impacts on tailings management practices.
- The NRCan together with ENERGY Laboratory-Devon conducts different research and development that is fully focused on eliminating the environmental impact of surface-mined oil sands.
- The Earth Sciences Sector (ESS) leads existing studies of the environmental impacts associated with different materials such as metal and non-metal tailings under the Environmental Geoscience and the Remote Sensing Science programs.
