Thoughts on the Brumadinho Tailings Dam Failure

EN LA SECCIÓN: OPINION

By D. Chad LePoudre
Atragic tailings dam failure occurred on January 25, 2019 at the Vale-owned Córrego do Feijão Mine site in Brumadinho,
in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. At the time of writing (February 4, 2019), the number of confirmed fatalities was 134,
and 199 people remain missing. There are also, undoubtedly, significant personal injuries and environmental and
economic consequences resulting from this terrible event that have not yet been fully realized. Writing about the event is
difficult knowing, and trying to understand, consequences of this severity. I am sure that we all express our sincere
condolences to the victims and their families.
There has been some information released by Vale regarding the dam that failed. Construction of the tailings facility
commenced in 1976, using the upstream method of construction; the facility was inactive and in the process of being
decommissioned when the failure occurred. The dam height was approximately 86 m and had a crest length of 720 m,
with storage of 11.7 million m3.

As of the time of writing there was already much speculation as to the cause of the failure and, perhaps by the time of
publication we will have some answers. I believe it is inappropriate to speculate regarding the cause of failure, although
I’m certain many professionals have theories. Instead, it is my expectation and understanding that Vale has retained
highly qualified individuals to determine the cause of failure, as was the case for other recent tailings dam failures at Mt.
Polley and Fundao.

The public sharing of information used to determine the cause of failure is, in my view, essential for our industry to learn
and take appropriate action to enhance safety of tailings dams around the world. Unfortunately, there are recent
examples of other tailings dam failures where very little information has been shared publicly.

The videos of this failure will surely assist in the analysis. It is difficult to find the right words to describe the videos. While
it is stunning footage of the tailings dam as it fails – the only such footage in existence that I’m aware of – one can’t help
but remember the loss of life that resulted.

The Canadian Dam Association envisions a future in which all dams are safe, well-managed and benefit society. Despite
the considerable positive recognition around the world of the existing CDA guidance documents, CDA continues to
improve and add to them. Failures such as Brumandinho are a reminder of the importance of the work still remaining, and
further instills a desire for continuous improvement.
label.figure.spantext
i
Imagen visible - nifais waepi map
Leyenda de la imagen
©NIFAIS WAEPI/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
Various committees and working groups within the CDA have been working towards improved guidance for public safety,
geotechnical criteria for mining dams, Engineer of Record considerations, and other initiatives. This work depends on the
efforts of volunteers from our industry who are committed to the CDA Vision. CDA is not alone in this effort, as many
organizations around the world have similar objectives.

You can be part of this noble work. If you are not already a volunteer, consider sharing your expertise through a relevant
committee. I can assure you that volunteering with CDA has been immensely rewarding for me, both professionally and
personally. If you are unable to volunteer, CDA will welcome you as a supporter through your individual or corporate
membership, or as a conference participant eager to learn about leading practices.

It is my hope that, together with other organizations and associations with similar visions, we improve our industry to the
point that tailings dam failures are all in the past.

D. Chad LePoudre is a past president of the Canadian Dam Association and Vice-President of Geoscience & Materials
Testing at SNC-Lavalin.