Podcasts & Presentations

Summary

This podcast, titled ‘The Crucible’, is hosted by the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (SAIMM) and focuses on tailings management in the mining industry. Dr. Kym Morton moderates the discussion with panelists Justin Wells from SRK Consulting, Simone Maharaj from Impala Platinum, and Alastair Bovim from Insight Terra. The conversation covers key aspects of tailings management, including the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM), innovative practices, monitoring technologies, and the importance of data management. Dr. Morton introduces the topic, emphasizing the critical nature of tailings storage facilities (TSFs) in the mining industry and the increased focus on their management following the Brumadinho dam failure in 2019. She highlights the SAIMM’s active involvement in tailings management across Southern African countries. Justin Wells shares his experience in tailings dam design, construction, and closure. He emphasizes the importance of closure engineering and has worked on projects across multiple countries. Simone Maharaj discusses her role at Impala Platinum, overseeing 12 active and 2 dormant TSFs across three countries. She highlights their efforts to comply with the GISTM and implement innovative monitoring techniques. Alastair Bovim explains his background in data and IT systems, focusing on bringing together and making sense of data from various tailing dam monitoring projects. The discussion covers key practices in tailings management, including the implementation of the GISTM, improved documentation standards, comprehensive training programs, and multiple levels of assurance. Innovations such as high-resolution drone flights, live monitoring systems, and bioremediation of groundwater are mentioned. The importance of water management, slope stability assessments, and the use of dynamic water balances are emphasized. The panelists discuss the role of consultants in improving tailings management, highlighting the importance of trust between consultants and clients. They also explore innovations in data management, modeling, and monitoring technologies. The conversation touches on the challenges of budget constraints and the need for case-by-case approaches to risk reduction. The podcast concludes with a discussion on the most impactful innovations in tailings management. These include integrated software systems for data and document management, advancements in geotechnical investigations and modeling, and the overall behavioral change in the industry towards improved safety and accountability. The panelists agree that better communication, integration, and change management are making a real difference in the industry’s approach to tailings management.