The Risk, Public Liability, and Economics of Tailings Storage Facility Failures

This report on an interdisciplinary analysis concludes that catastrophic tailings spills are increasing in frequency, severity and cost. Modern metal mining techniques have driven the creation of increasingly more risky mine waste facilities, enabled by regulators that have failed to require best practices to minimize financial and environmental risk. Tailings failures cited: Kingston Fossil Plant, Tennessee; Mount Polley, Canada; Merriespruit, South Africa; Marinduque, Philippines; Omai, Guyana; Los Frailles, Spain; Baia Mare, Romania; Taoshi, China.