Modern Mining July 2023

SUSTAINABLE MINING

South African mines take up the GISTM gauntlet The launch of the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM) in August 2020, following the failure of the Córrego do Feijão mining facility in Brumadinho, Brazil, which killed 270 people and caused significant environmental damage, has seen the global mining industry aligning with the GISTM. Modern Mining recently caught up with CEO of the Federation for a Sustainable Environment (FSE), Mariette Liefferink, to find out how proactive the local mining industry has been in meeting the targets set out by the GISTM. By Nelendhre Moodley .

CEO of the Federation for a Sustainable Environment, Mariette Liefferink.

“ S hortly after the disaster in Brumadinho, a call to industry was issued, supported by key investors. A Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM) was developed and subsequently launched in August 2020,” says Liefferink. She explains that tailings storage facilities (TSFs) are among the largest dams and structures in the world that will stand in perpetuity. “As most of the TSFs in South Africa are upstream TSFs, they are considered low cost but high-risk developments. If poorly designed, constructed, or managed, TSFs present a significant risk to local communities and ecosystems, especially in down stream environments. A catastrophic release of a large amount of tailings could lead to long term envi ronmental damage with huge clean-up costs.” TSF poses high risk to people and the environment According to Liefferink, historic tailings storage

facilities have several associated challenges includ ing, amongst others, that most of the historic TSFs are unlined (which poses challenges regarding ground and surface water contamination); have steep slopes (making the establishment of vegeta tion difficult and resultant erosion and dust fallout); as well as the fact that a number of TSFs have histori cally been constructed in wetlands. “Due to the encroachment of residential devel opments onto TSFs, risks and hazards to local communities, such as radioactivity, windblow dust, contaminated water and soil, etc, have increased. To manage mining facilities responsibly, the TSF owner must understand the physical and chemical risks associated with the TSF and implement controls to reduce risks relating to potential health, safety, envi ronmental, societal, business, and economic impacts in line with regulations.” Liefferink cites a 2008 report titled A Remote Sensing and GIS Based Integrated Approach for Risk Based Prioritization of Gold Tailings Facilities

TSF failures include slope failures of two TSFs, owned by the Mintails Group of Companies.

feature

(Photo: Mark Olalde)

28  MODERN MINING  July 2023