Updated 10/05/2002

Management of Large Volume Waste

(In cooperation with Professor Dirk van Zyl of the Mackay School of Mines and Meredith Sassoon)

Available Documents

Events

Related MMSD Reports

One of the most important environmental considerations at any mine is how to manage the large volumes of waste that are produced so as to minimise their long term impacts and maximise any long term benefits. Mining wastes are commonly disposed of on land; however, waste is also discharged into river systems and the sea. The selection of disposal method is site-specific and typically controlled by technical and economic feasibility evaluations. Climate, land availability and predicted environmental and social impacts at the time of mine development are important considerations. One of the most important aspects of these impacts is their potential long term nature. These can have lasting environmental and socio-economic consequences and be extremely difficult and costly to address through remedial measures.

There is no one best way to dispose of large volume mining wastes because each site, its environment and the local community, will have specific characteristics with different concerns. This area of MMSD activity focused on waste management practice, and dealing with mine closure and abandoned mines. The objective was to develop specific recommendations on how decision-making with respect to current practice can be made more holistic.

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Three working papers were drawn up based on a summary of existing information on large volume wastes, mine closure and abandoned mines. Environmental, economic, community and governance issues are described as they relate to different stakeholders (e.g. communities, governments, industry).

In order to include a wide range of perspectives, a Review Committee was convened to provide guidance and review the work. It was chaired by Meredith Sassoon and made up of 27 experts from several countries representing the broad topics under consideration.

A workshop was held in Vancouver, Canada in July 2001 to review the three draft working papers and develop the recommendations for dealing with large volume wastes, mine closure issues and abandoned mines.

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Events

Large Volume Waste Workshop
14-18 July, 2001 Vancouver, Canada
Hosted by MMSD

Workshop report

Workshop summary and recommendations

MMSD Working Papers related to this activity:

van Zyl, Dirk; Sassoon, Meredith; Fleury, Anne-Marie; Kyeyune, Silvia; MMSD
Mining for the Future. Preface and Main Report

Report
(PDF 834KB)

Appendix A: Large Volume Waste Working Paper

Report
(PDF 411KB)

Appendix B: Mine Closure Working Paper

Report
(PDF 252KB)

Appendix C: Abandoned Mines Working Paper

Report
(PDF 237KB)

Appendix D: Large Volume Waste Workshop Summary and Recommendations

Report
(PDF 220KB)

Appendix E: Workshop Report

Report
(PDF 562KB)

Appendix F:
Martin, TE; Davies, MP; Rice, S; Higgs, T; Lighthall, PC
Stewardship of Tailing Facilities for Sustainable
Development