International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD) - Tailings Dams, Risk of dangerous occurrences

Description

British Sub - Committee on Tailings Dams, 2001, 145 pages.The aim of this Bulletin (121) is to highlight and learn from some of the difficulties commonly encountered to help owners, managers, contractors and other personnel responsible for the day to day construction of tailings dams, to avoid similar difficulties. It is intended to be of help to all those connected in any way with tailings dams and waste lagoons: government officials concerned with regulations, planning offcials concerned about the requirements needed for planning permission, and those concerned about the continuing stability of existing tailings dams.Examples are given of accidents and failures, together with some examples of effective remedial measures.Table of contents:SummaryResumeForewordPrefaceIntroduction:ObjectivesBackgroundPre-requisites for safe tailings damsOverview of dam and tailings dam incidentsCommon reasons for faulty behaviourRisk managementRisk assessmentRisk managementRisk contigency planLessons learnt From this studyGeneral assessment of the lessons learnedSpecific considerations with examples of incidentsSite selection and investigationStarter damUnsatisfactory foundationsLack of stability of the downstream slopeSuperimposed loadsProblems with decantsFlow slidesEarthquakesIce and Fautly water balanceImpoundments not retained by a damSafety ManagementConclusions and recommendationsLessons learned: Implications for policy - a unep viewReferencesFiguresAppendix - Tailings Dams - Incident case recordsIntroductionAbbreviationsList of tailings dams for which incident cases were collectedBrief descriptions of 221 cases