Tailings and Waste Management

Tailings are a common waste product generated by the mining process. They typically consist of remnant crushed ore which has been mixed with water and reagents which are neutralized before storage. Tailings are our most significant source of process waste and are a critical area of environmental management for the mining industry. 

All our tailings are sent to carefully engineered Tailings Storage Facilities (TSFs). We manage our tailings facilities responsibly and in line with international standards, and local regulations to meet site specific conditions. In February 2019, the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) and the UN Environment Programme began developing the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM). The standard, launched on 5 August 2020, was developed through an independent expert panel that reviewed current mining industry global best practices for designing, managing, and operating tailings storage facilities. Tailings management is a key component of our Environmental Impact Assessments and our corresponding management plans. We currently have clear procedures in place to ensure alignment with international best practice standards from construction to closure and we have started a compliance audit to continue to align our internal tailings management practices to evolving industry standards. In 2020, we started a compliance audit to evaluate existing TSF designs and operating plans against the GISTM. We will report on these finding in the 2021 Sustainability Report. 

Our Approach to Tailings Management

We use a combination of technology, regular inspections, external oversight, and audits to monitor our TSFs:

Exploration

As contact with community members starts, so do discussions and dialogue to gain the trust and support of community members. Activities include discussions to facilitate opportunities for people living in nearby communities, negotiations for land access, assistance to traditional owner groups to build their capacity to negotiate, and support or contributions to local initiatives. 

Technology

Including vibrating piezometers, embankment crest prisms, and accelerographs to monitor embankment settlement, movement, and stability

Inspection

Our TSFs are inspected daily for signs of stress of damage by members of the construction team and mine geology departments. Details of each inspection are recorded in daily tailings logs, which are reviewed by the process manager. Members of our Health, Safety and Environment departments also conduct inspections monthly. The groundwater and surface water downstream locations

Annual Inspections

We also have annual site inspections of our TSFs (including of all internal monitoring reports) by external, internationally recognized tailings dam specialists who provide a further level or monitoring and compliance governance

External Oversight

At the Çöpler Mine an authorized hydraulic structures inspection Company is always on site on behalf of the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization of the Turkish Republic. The TSF design and engineering consultants are also on site during construction to ensure quality and conformance to design

Audit

External audits are regularly conducted

Independent Tailings Review Board (ITRB)

Conducted by one or more qualified and internationally recognized experts outside of SSR and not involved with preparation of the TSF design. The ITRB provides an expert, independent opinion as to whether or not the TSF design and current and/or anticipated performance demonstrate an acceptable level of care, from geotechnical, hydrotechnical and environmental perspectives and with reference to acceptable international practice

Our Tailings Storage Facilities

Seabee:

The Seabee Gold Operation has two tailings management facilities; The East Lake and Triangle Lake facilities. Tailings depositions alternate between the two facilities with summer deposition occurring at the East Lake Facility, and winter deposition occurring at the Triangle Lake facility. We are currently expanding the Triangle Lake facility. Both facilities are HDPE lined. 

Marigold:

In 1994 the Marigold Mine became a heap leach operation and its tailing facility was decommissioned and reclaimed. The closed tailings facility has been rehabilitated and is regularly monitored. 

Puna:

At Puna Operations, ore from the Chinchillas mine is processed at the Pirquitas facility. Tailings are disposed of into the mined-out Pirquitas pits. By backfilling the Pirquitas pit we were able to eliminate the need to expand the Pirquitas TSF, reducing costs and helping to minimize the footprint of our mine. The Pirquitas TSF is a HDPE-lined facility and is used as an emergency alternative to the pit disposal and water storage. 

Çöpler:

Çöpler has one TSF, a downstream mass filled dam, which became operational during the final quarter of 2018 with the start up of the sulfide plant. The TSF was designed to meet best in class requirements for Class-I (hazardous) waste, even though all tailings are classified Class-II (non-hazardous). Çöpler’s TSF has also been designed to withstand significant earthquakes up to a magnitude of 7.5 on the Richter scale. Modelling shows that even in the most severe seismic event the wall of the TSF will heave with minimal risk of altering facility location or strength.

2020 Waste Generated and Tailings Deposited (tonnes)