The Systematic Approach

to Tailings Management
CIM ESRS Online Workshop Series
June 3 through June 19, 2020
Workshop Series Sequence
June 3 Introduction & TSF Scope – DONE!

June 5 Tailings Management Systems & Role of Technology – DONE!

June 10 The People Side of Tailings Management Systems – DONE!

June 12 Risk Identification & Management Strategies – DONE!

June 17 Risk Management & Technologies – Field Applications - DONE!

June 19 Keynote, Panel & Series Close!

June 19, 2020 2020 Tailings Workshop

Today’s Presentations
Towards Getting Things Right
Keynote: Angela Küpper

Presenter Panel
Moderated by Diana Sollner

June 19, 2020 2020 Tailings Workshop

Towards Getting
Things Right
Angela Kupper, Ph.D., P.Eng.
Director, Principal Geotechnical Engineer
BGC Engineering
Tailings Facility Risk Management

• The technical fundamentals

• The tailings system
• Risks – how well do we understand them?
• Risk management of the tailings facility as a system

June 19, 2020 2020 Tailings Workshop

Technical Fundamentals – must be solid!

• Robust, informed engineering design

• Correct implementation of the design, adequately adjusted to
field conditions and documented in detail

• Operation as per design and OMS Manual under all conditions

June 19, 2020 2020 Tailings Workshop

GET THE GEOLOGY RIGHT
• For example:
• Definition of the stratigraphy,
material types and mineralogy
• Definition of structural geology
• Understanding of the geomorphology
and how it affected the nature,
distribution and properties of the
geological units in the area
• Understanding of the hydrogeology,
its boundary conditions and
seasonality
June 19, 2020
GET THE SOIL MECHANICS RIGHT
• For example:
• Solid understanding of fundamental soil
behaviour, including pore pressure
responses
• Appropriate site investigation, field and
laboratory testing, correctly interpreted
• Factors of safety consistent with
uncertainties in geology, material
behaviour, mobilized shear strengths,
acceptable strain levels.
• Appropriate use of analytical tools
2020 Tailings Workshop
Selection of Factor of Safety must consider:
• Heterogeneity and understanding of geology
• Amount and reliability of available data
• Data variability
• Local experience with the materials
• Parameter selection approach
• Strain compatibility
• Type of potential failure mechanism
• Consequence of failure
• Etc.

June 19, 2020 2020 Tailings Workshop

Selection of Factor of Safety must consider:
• Heterogeneity and understanding of geology
• Amount and reliability of available data
• Data variability
• Local experience with the materials

Strength
• Parameter selection approach
• Strain compatibility
• Type of potential failure mechanism
• Consequence of failure Strain
• Etc.

June 19, 2020 2020 Tailings Workshop

 Factor of Safety
• Factors of Safety are not meaningful unless associated with the
parameters used to calculate them.
• Stated or prescribed Factors of Safety do not necessarily
correlate with probability of failure.
• Factor of Safety against slope instability does not cover all
potential failure modes (e.g. piping failure).
• Water management – both external water management
(spillways and other conveyance facilities) and internal water
management (drains, filters, seepage through dam and foundation
materials)

June 19, 2020 2020 Tailings Workshop

GET THE GEOLOGY RIGHT
• For example:
• Definition of the stratigraphy,
material types and mineralogy
• Definition of structural geology
• Understanding of the geomorphology
and how it affected the nature,
distribution and properties of the
geological units in the area
• Understanding of the hydrogeology,
its boundary conditions and
seasonality
June 19, 2020
GET THE SOIL MECHANICS RIGHT
• For example:
• Solid understanding of fundamental soil
behaviour, including pore pressure
responses
• Appropriate site investigation, field and
laboratory testing, correctly interpreted
• Factors of safety consistent with
uncertainties in geology, material
behaviour, mobilized shear strengths,
acceptable strain levels.
• Appropriate use of analytical tools
2020 Tailings Workshop
GET THE HYDROLOGY RIGHT
• For example:
• Understanding of the precipitation
data and the relationship between
surface water and hydrogeology
• Consider climate change
• Selection of the design criteria and
the design flows
• Appropriate use of modern analytical
tools
June 19, 2020
GET THE IMPLEMENTATION RIGHT
• For example:
• Develop a design that is practical and
implementable without major challenges
for the site conditions (materials,
technology, personnel, climate)
• Produce quality documents that
adequately communicate the design
• Support construction in the field with
appropriate Quality Assurance that
identifies when field conditions differ from
design assumptions and that flags it for
potential design changes
2020 Tailings Workshop
 GET THE GEOLOGY RIGHT, e.g.:
• Definition of the stratigraphy,
material types and mineralogy
• Definition of structural geology
• Understanding of the geomorphology
and how it affected the nature,
distribution and properties of the
geological units in the area
• Understanding of the hydrogeology,
its boundary conditions and
seasonality
GET THE HYDROLOGY RIGHT, e.g.:
• Understanding of the precipitation data
and the relationship between surface
water and hydrogeology
• Consider climate change
• Selection of the design criteria and the
design flows
• Appropriate use of modern analytical
tools
GET THE SOIL MECHANICS RIGHT, e.g.:
• Solid understanding of fundamental soil
behaviour, including pore pressure
responses
• Appropriate site investigation, field and
laboratory testing, correctly interpreted
• Factors of safety consistent with
uncertainties in geology, material
behaviour, mobilized shear strengths,
acceptable strain levels.
• Appropriate use of analytical tools
GET THE IMPLEMENTATION RIGHT, e.g.:
• Develop a design that is practical and
implementable without major challenges
for the site conditions (materials,
technology, personnel, climate)
• Produce quality documents that
adequately communicate the design
• Support construction in the field with
appropriate Quality Assurance
Tailings Facility – a system
• Tailings facilities need to be considered as a system to better
understand risks

• Tailings Facilities are part of a complex socio-technical system

where sub-optimal performance can be caused by multiple
contributing factors

June 19, 2020 2020 Tailings Workshop

 Tailings facility – the “inner” system

Source: Küpper, 2019

June 19, 2020 2020 Tailings Workshop

 Tailings facility – the “outer” system

EOR

Source: Küpper, 2019

June 19, 2019 2020 Tailings Workshop

Engineer of Record (EOR)

• EOR - importance of effective partnership with the Operator

• Importance of expedient, transparent flow of information
• Importance of continuity / long term partnership

June 19, 2020 2020 Tailings Workshop

Engineer of Record (EOR)
• EOR is a firm – must nominate an individual to represent it
• Need for redundancy
• Need for a team – Tailings is not just geotechnical
• Internal quality system, training, internal reviewers
• EOR team needs to have both competency and experience
commensurate with the specific requirements of the project
• ISSUE: EOR has responsibility but not necessarily the authority

June 19, 2020 2020 Tailings Workshop

Other Challenges
• Lack of qualified personnel in the market
• Engineering (more focused university programs, stronger soil
mechanics, technical reviewers)
• Operations (tailings operations = valued as a career track, a trade)
• Tailings Stewardship Programs – in addition to being an effective risk
management tool, it is a mentorship opportunity; knowledge transfer.
• Evolving and variable regulatory systems

June 19, 2020 2020 Tailings Workshop

Source: Küpper, 2019

Note: Each rectangular box in this diagram represents a system in itself.

June 19, 2019 2020 Tailings Workshop
Tailings Facility – a system
• Tailings facilities need to be considered as a system to better
understand risks
• System is dynamic, complex socio-technical system
• People change (different level of knowledge, experience, different ways
of communicating and relating to others)
• Internal influences – culture, systems, complacency
• External influences – commodity prices, labour market
• Sub-optimal performance caused by multiple contributing factors, not
just a single catastrophic decision or action and not just from
deficiencies at any one level.

June 19, 2020 2020 Tailings Workshop

Risk can be affected by:
• Decisions that misunderstand or neglect the interdependencies -
an incomplete understanding of how the decisions may be related to the
specific tailings system at that site
• A series of small decisions can have a large impact
• Too much reliance on models - models may not capture everything that
could go wrong; “calibrations” may not be correct
• Normalisation of deviance - suggests that the unexpected becomes the
expected, which becomes the accepted

June 19, 2020 2020 Tailings Workshop

Risks – how well do we understand them?
• Probability of failure is affected by:
• Technical issues
• Operations PEOPLE, CULTURE, COMMUNICATIONS
• Management

• Probability of failure is not constant with time

• Consequences of failure may also vary

June 19, 2020 2020 Tailings Workshop

Global Tailings Standard
• Focuses on risk management and accountabilities
• Emphasizes quality engineering, construction and operation
• Focuses on the entire lifecycle of the facility in an integrated
manner, throughout all stages of its development
• Supports data and knowledge gathering and accessibility
• Supports the establishment of a culture that promotes learning,
communication and early problem recognition
• Recognizes tailings facilities as a system with all its
components and their interactions

June 19, 2020 2020 Tailings Workshop

 Systemic approach to TF Risk Management
The specifics of implementing a systemic approach will vary in each case, however some common elements include :
• Vertical integration from the worker level to the board of directors, where there is support for an understanding of the measures, activities and attitudes required
for safe tailings management.
• Horizontal integration, with all groups within the operation supporting tailings facility safety as one of their key objectives and formal KPIs.
• Knowledge integration from all levels within the operation - from workers to the C-suite. Knowledge is gathered, respected and integrated into improved plans,
designs, operational procedures and policies.
• Information gathered and compiled to improve the organisation and support continued education, awareness, knowledge sharing, including access to
knowledgeable specialists, inside and outside the organisation.
• Development and implementation of a robust data management system where all data relative to geology, hydrology, materials, volumes, schedule, designs,
specifications, surveys, photographs, as-builts, reports, instrumentation, monitoring data, etc., are easily accessible and available in an efficient, timely and
practical manner to the entire organisation. Data accuracy and data integrity are a must.
• Consistent use and application of risk assessments and risk management principles with program priorities being informed by these assessments.
• Clear understanding of the role of everyone at all levels within the organisation in improving safety of the tailings facility by adopting correct procedures,
adequate equipment, positive attitudes, and continuous improvement approaches.
• Transparency in internal and external communications and a supportive culture such that problems can be aired and addressed in a constructive manner.
• Establishment of tailings as a career path in the organisation and within the mining industry with well-defined objectives, technical knowledge and experience
expectations, and with growth opportunities.
• Clear succession plans, with candidates identified, for all key roles in the organisation related to tailings management.
• A strong governance framework that supports and reinforces all the above.
(based on Rasmussen, 1997)

June 19, 2020 2020 Tailings Workshop

Risk-informed Decision Making
• Critical to be based on solid technical fundamentals
• Understand performance – of the structure and the management system
• Understand the risks
• Technical risks
• Operational and management risks
• People related risks
• Risks related to the dynamic system

June 19, 2020 2020 Tailings Workshop

 Thank you

BGC ENGINEERING INC.

AN APPLIED EARTH SCIENCES COMPANY

June 19, 2020 2020 Tailings Workshop

June 19, 2020 2020 Tailings Workshop