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Tailings are the fine residue of the milling process in the mining industry and appear in slurry form being mixed with water during this process. Large tailings ponds are required to contain them, usually confined by man-made dams. Such tailings facilities pose considerable risk both to the environment and human lives.
A major interdisciplinary research project ('TAILSAFE') supported by European Union has been initiated with the aim to increase attention towards and reduce the risk posed by tailings facilities. Methods of parameter evaluation and measurement are being developed within the project and applied for the detection, assessment and improvement of the safety state of tailings dams and ponds.
One of the workpackages has his focus on non-destructive geophysical investigation methods. Geoelectrical (SIP), seismic and radar methods will be used to get information on the tailings dam structure and water content.
Improperly built or managed tailing dams pose major risks to human lives and the environment. Research for risk reduction by new technologies including slurry handlings, stochastic modelling, development of a parameter framework as well as work on legislation and authorisation procedures will be done in the EC-funded project TAILSAFE. Focus of this paper is on geophysial techniques for structure investigation and monitoring.
Unsafe tailings management facilities (TMFs) have caused serious accidents in Europe (e.g., Baia Mare, Romania, in 2000, Aznalcóllar, Spain, in 1998, and Stava, Italy, in 1985), threatening human health/life and the environment. While advanced design, construction and management procedures are available, their implementation requires greater emphasis. An integrated research project funded by the European Union was carried out between 2002 and 2005 with the overall goal of improving the safety of TMFs (Sustainable Improvement in Safety of Tailings Facilities-TAILSAFE, http://www.tailsafe.com/). The objective of TAILSAFE was to develop and apply methods of parameter evaluation and measurement for the assessment and improvement of the safety state of tailings facilities, with particular attention to the stability of tailings dams and slurries, the special risks inherent when such materials include toxic or hazardous wastes, and authorization and management procedures for tailings facilities. Aspects of tailings facilities design, water management and slurry transport, non-destructive and minimally intrusive testing methods, monitoring and the application of sensors, intervention and remediation options were considered in TAILSAFE. A risk reduction framework (the TAILSAFE Parameter Framework) was established to contribute to the avoidance of catastrophic accidents and hazards from tailings facilities. Tailings from the mining and primary processing of metals, minerals and coal were included within the scope of TAILSAFE. The project focused on the avoidance of hazards by developing procedures and methods for investigating and improving the stability of tailings dams and tailings bodies.
Permeable reactive barriers
(2005)