When Tailings Dams Collapse (And What Can Be Done to Prevent It)

A Case Study

It's an unthinkable scenario...

A huge structure like a Tailings Storage Facility can seem incredibly strong and safe, but it can break in an instant.

On March 9, 2018, something happened at the Cadia Valley Northern Tailings Storage Facility. This facility sits in New South Wales, Australia. A part of the tailings dam collapsed because of a structural failure. This caused the tailings material to spill into the nearby Southern Tailings Storage Facility.

The breach in the Cadia Valley Tailings Dam

The Aftermath

Luckily, responders contained the spill, and they saved all lives. However, production at the large gold and copper mine stopped. Government agencies, like the New South Wales Department of Planning and Environment, had to visit the site.

They needed to check the risk to the area. This was a long and expensive process. The company shut down the mine for six months between March and September 2018 to conduct cleanup and remediation.

Newcrest Mining faced many costs. These included lost revenue, high operational expenses, and legal fees. They also had to pay for remediation and regulatory compliance. Non-financial effects included damage to their reputation and loss of investor confidence.

An Alternative Outcome?

Interestingly, if someone had monitored the dam regularly using satellite SAR data, they could have predicted the collapse.

Results of an InSAR analysis by Geofem Demonstrating Displacement in the TSF Structure

Our study of the structure's movement in the months before the incident showed an increased velocity of displacement. Depending on the alert level for velocity or acceleration, the Northern Tailings Storage Facility may have received warnings. These warnings could have come 1 or 2 months before the collapse.

With sufficient warning time, the collapse may have been avoidable through proactive remedial measures. This story serves to remind us that the price of reactive disaster response is not only financial.

InSAR analysis results showing the accelerated displacement in the months prior to the failure.

Want to Learn More about Tailings Dams?

Contact Geofem through our contact page. Learn more about how satellite SAR data works. Discover how it can monitor infrastructure assets effectively.