|
This Guide includes:
-
a framework of management principles,
policies and objectives;
-
checklists for implementing the framework
through the life cycle of a tailings facility; and
-
lists of technical considerations.
The Guide is an extension of The Mining Association
of Canada (MAC) Environmental
Policy and the MAC Environmental
Management Framework specifically applied to tailings
management. It is designed to help companies to assure themselves
that they are managing their tailings facilities responsibly
and safely, and to demonstrate this to regulators and the
public. It will help companies practise due diligence.
This Guide presents a framework to manage
tailings facilities in a safe and environmentally responsible
manner through the full life cycle of a tailings facility:
from site selection and design, through construction and
operation, to eventual decommissioning and closure. It is
meant to be adapted to specific sites, individual company
policies, and local regulatory and community requirements.
The framework is expanded into a series of
management action checklists addressing the various stages
of the life cycle. These checklists, at any stage, can be
used for developing operating procedures and manuals; exposing
gaps within existing procedures; identifying training requirements;
communicating with stakeholders; obtaining permits; conducting
internal audits; and aiding compliance and due diligence.
Appended to the document are lists of technical
considerations that address environmental setting, facility
design and operating aspects typically encountered through
the various stages of a tailings facility life cycle. The
management framework addresses these technical considerations
in varying degrees of detail, sometimes revisiting them
at different stages in the life cycle.
The Guide is not a technical manual; it does
not contain or suggest performance criteria. It is not a
comprehensive authority on tailings management, nor is it
intended to replace professional expertise or regulatory
requirements. Mining companies and tailings facility owners
are encouraged to adapt and extend the principles contained
in this Guide to meet their own site and operational requirements,
incorporating appropriate site-specific performance measures.
|
