Reimagining Tailings Management in Canada’s Resource Sector

Written by Akshay Dubey, CEO, CVW CleanTech Inc.

Tailings management remains one of the most pressing challenges for those industries that rely on resource extraction and has the potential, if not progressively managed, to leave lasting damage for future generations.

Around the world, tailings ponds are used to store waste produced during mining operations. However, these facilities have environmental risks, impact surrounding communities, and threaten the industry’s social license to operate.

The tailings ponds within the oil sands mining industry are some of the largest human-made structures on Earth, collectively covering over 250 square kilometres. Last year’s heap leach failure at Victoria Gold’s Yukon mine, occurring in the same year as Mount Polley’s 10th anniversary, highlights the urgency for more sustainable and responsible tailings management approaches.

So, let’s examine how the industry has evolved its approach to tailings management and what must be done to ensure a sustainable path forward.

The current landscape of tailings management

Over the past decade, operators have made significant strides in improving the safety of tailings ponds. The introduction of the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM) in 2020 strengthened global best practices for operating and maintaining tailings facilities. Operators have improved safety by moving towards lower-impact processes, such as dry stack tailings, and deploying advanced tools, such as real-time monitoring systems and satellite imaging.

While these advancements have reduced inherent risks, many hard-to-abate challenges remain. The potential for spills, and overall environmental risks, are most present where tailings are produced in large volumes and deposited in large ponds. This reality should lead us to ask tough questions, including how we can reduce the need for tailings ponds, and what technologies industry could adopt to minimize environmental risks.

The answer lies in innovation, collaboration, and a willingness to proactively implement long-term solutions.

Risks inherent in the current state

Global demand continues to rise for the valuable commodities that extractive industries produce. For production to grow, risks associated with the use of tailings ponds will continue to compound year after year:

As tailings ponds get larger and older, the probability of large-scale breaches will increase, resulting in further environmental damage and eroding public confidence.

Operators will face mounting financial liabilities related to the maintenance and eventual closure of tailings ponds as evidenced by the US$30 billion payout made by BHP and Vale for the Samarco tailings dam failure.

The ability to restore damaged ecosystems will become increasingly difficult, if not impossible, leaving future generations and taxpayers to bear the burden.

The importance of adopting technologies and taking a collaborative approach

To effectively tackle these challenges, we must focus on solutions that can reduce the use of tailings ponds. Each resource base is unique, presenting its own set of challenges and opportunities. Within the oil sands mining sector, the implementation of certain technologies would provide a clear roadmap for achieving the goal of significantly reducing the use of tailings ponds.

Many of these technologies are ready for commercial deployment today. Our own Creating Value from Waste™ is ‘shovel-ready’ and its implementation would mark a significant positive change towards progressive remediation of the tailings ponds created by oil sands mining. By adopting these solutions now, Canada’s oil sands mining sector can take decisive steps toward reducing tailings pond volumes and future risks.

Resource extraction deeply impacts Indigenous communities, who maintain enduring connections to the environment. Fostering meaningful partnerships will incorporate Indigenous knowledge and perspectives into tailings management strategies and promote more sustainable practices. This includes integrating traditional ecological knowledge of watersheds, incorporating multi-generational understanding of local ecosystems, and applying Indigenous approaches to environmental stewardship and monitoring. Investing in these partnerships ensures a more sustainable approach by strengthening trust and creating shared benefits between industry and communities.

A call for action and collaboration

The path forward is clear but will require collaboration among all relevant stakeholders. Industry leaders, Indigenous communities, governments, and regulatory bodies must come together to challenge the status quo and implement progressive change. This includes:

• Implementing proven, scalable technologies that can reduce tailings volume.
• Establishing clear implementation roadmaps with accountability to ensure follow-through.
• Prioritizing progressive remediation that rehabilitates the land as operations progress, rather than deferring action.

Progress requires bold action, the implementation of innovative technologies, and a commitment to partnership. Every year we delay action, the risks increase, and there are less opportunities to truly remediate the land.

We can pave the way for a future where mining operations coexist responsibly with the ecosystems and communities they impact. The risks of maintaining the status quo are far too great – by leveraging technology, fostering Indigenous partnerships, and adopting a forward-looking approach, we can make meaningful progress towards solving the tailings challenge once and for all. The solutions exist, the technologies are here, and the time to act is now.