August 2025: A milestone in a new era of mine tailings management
This month, mining companies around the world will have reported on five years of progress toward conformance with the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM). In 2020, the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM), the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), and Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) implemented the GISTM in response to catastrophic tailings dam failures that drew unprecedented international attention to mine tailings facilities. Prioritizing human safety, the GISTM was designed to be a comprehensive approach to tailings facility operations; the standard sets forth environmental, social, and governance requirements in addition to design, operation, and management.
Mining companies are more focused than ever on planning, designing, operating, expanding, and closing their tailings facilities in accordance with growing and evolving standards.
Mining companies that are members of ICMM have committed to multiyear, multidisciplinary efforts to align with the GISTM. We expect to learn from ICMM how they’ve progressed in the coming months, but their efforts won’t end here. Member companies will be required to conduct regular internal and independent audits to demonstrate continued conformance with the GISTM’s 77 requirements.
The last five years have signaled a sea change in mine tailings operations worldwide. Under a spotlight of public awareness, mining companies are more focused than ever on planning, designing, operating, expanding, and closing their tailings facilities in accordance with growing and evolving standards.
The expanding world of mine-tailings standards
The GISTM may be the most publicized industry standard for mine tailings facilities, but it’s not the first or the newest, and it’s not the only one referenced internationally. Mining companies around the world are investing time and resources in meeting one or multiple standards for a variety of reasons, even voluntarily. In addition to keeping pace with industry best practices, conforming to a standard reduces risk, reinforces a company’s social license to operate, and bolsters ESG programs. And importantly, regulations often follow and mirror industry standards, so aligning with a standard may help companies meet new regulations more easily.
The question then becomes, “Which one?” Let’s consider four of the most widely recognized standards worldwide. All of them emphasize safety, necessitate a thorough evaluation and understanding of risk, require regular inspections and monitoring, and promote transparency. But there are differences in scope, emphasis, and level of technical detail, and mining companies should be aware of how each lines up against their geographies, business goals, company policies, and regulatory environments. Here’s a snapshot:
ICOLD (International Commission on Large Dams), Technical Bulletin 194: Tailings Dam Safety
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Published in 2025, consolidates and updates information from previous bulletins published periodically since 1996
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Focuses on technical guidance for tailings dams throughout the mine life cycle (planning, design, operation, closure)
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Conformance not required by ICOLD
GISTM
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Implemented in 2020 by ICMM, UNEP, and PRI
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Emphasizes safety and failure prevention
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77 auditable standards framed by 15 principles
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Requirements depend on a facility classification based on the consequences of failure
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Conformance mandatory for ICMM-member companies
CDA (Canadian Dam Association), Dam Safety Guidelines and technical bulletin on mining dams
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Dam Safety Guidelines published in 2007 and revised in 2013
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Technical Bulletin: Application of Dam Safety Guidelines to Mining Dams published in 2014 (revisions drafted in 2019)
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Five core principles for dam safety, with emphasis on flexibility and professional judgment
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Adopted by some Canadian provincial regulatory agencies, certain jurisdictions require conformance
MAC (Mining Association of Canada), A Guide to the Management of Tailings Facilities
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Commonly referred to as the Tailings Guide
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Third edition published in 2017 (first edition published in 1998)
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A core document supporting MAC’s Towards Sustainable Mining (TSM) initiative, launched in 2004 to help mining companies better address environmental and social risks
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TSM conformance mandatory for MAC member companies
Comparison summary
Which one, or how many?
Each of these standards comes with its own driving forces, focuses, and frameworks. The good news is that in this new era of tailings management, mining companies won’t necessarily have to choose between them, because the organizations developing and maintaining these standards aren’t doing so in isolation. The Global Tailings Management Institute, which has been established to administer the GISTM, stated that the GISTM exists to complement, not replace, more technical dam-related standards such as ICOLD and CDA, which focus on engineering rigor. ICOLD’s 2025 Technical Bulletin 194 highlights governance principles shared by MAC (TSM) and the GISTM in an effort to reinforce them. And though MAC’s TSM was designed for Canadian tailings facilities and is mandatory for member companies, MAC has updated its TSM protocols to align with GISTM, facilitating compliance with both standards.
In this new era of tailings management, mining companies won’t necessarily have to choose between standards, because the organizations developing and maintaining these standards aren’t doing so in isolation.
This cross-referencing makes it possible to integrate multiple standards to build a robust management program that fits the needs of individual facilities. Companies can leverage the strengths of each or select a combination that suits their policies, goals, or unique circumstances. For example, we’ve worked with clients making improvements to safety and operational performance according to technical standards by CDA, and concurrent improvements to management by establishing roles and responsibilities set forth by the GISTM. In many cases, mining companies are free to design a tailings management program that suits them, all while reaping the benefits that standards provide.
We’re here to help
Conforming to a new standard isn’t like turning on a light. In practice, it happens incrementally—one design, repair, or modification project at a time. And while conforming to multiple standards may offer benefits, harmonizing them may require reconciling differences in terminology, scope, and audit requirements, especially for companies operating in multiple countries or diverse regulatory environments. It requires careful mapping of requirements, internal coordination, and often external expertise. Whenever we work with mining companies on tailings management challenges, we apply our deep knowledge of these standards to help them carefully select what’s best while avoiding confusion or redundancy.
The mining industry is at a pivotal moment in tailings management. This isn’t the finish line—it’s the foundation for ongoing progress. With multiple standards available, companies may thoughtfully choose and integrate those that best suit their operations, regulatory environments, policies, and goals. We can help you get there.
Learn more about Barr’s tailings dam safety and independent review services. Planning a tailings management project? Contact us.
Connect with us at Tailings2025
Tailings2025 is coming up September 3 through 5 in Santiago, Chile! Connect with Iván Contreras, one of our senior geotechnical engineers specializing in mine-tailings dam design and management. Let’s continue the discussion.
About the authors
Jeff Grinsel, vice president and senior water resources engineer, has over 20 years of water resources civil engineering experience in mine tailings, mine water management, dam safety and design, and civil design and construction. For over a decade, his practice has been focused on integrated tailings management combining soils, tailings, and water components. More recently, he has further focused on tailings storage facility/tailings management area stakeholder engagement and collaboration consistent with the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management and other globally recognized standards. He has advised in various roles internationally in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and South America. Jeff holds a certificate as a Certified Construction Specifier from the Construction Specifications Institute.
Art Kalmes, vice president and senior civil engineer, has 39 years of experience in civil and water resources engineering. He specializes in tailings management, dams and levees, water management, and civil engineering design. He has served as principal or project manager for dozens of large industrial and mining projects for tailings containment and infrastructure improvements. Art has directed studies for mining clients on five continents. These studies range in scope from concept studies to final design and construction. He serves as the Engineer of Record (EOR) for tailings storage facilities at four mine sites and has served as an independent technical reviewer.
Kurt Schimpke, vice president and senior geotechnical engineer, provides tailings management services to mining clients, including alternatives studies, dam design, instrumentation monitoring, dam safety inspections, and third-party reviews. He has been involved in projects across the Midwestern U.S., Canada, and the Middle East. In addition, Kurt serves on the Tailings and Mine Waste conference Organizing Committee, ASDSO Tailings Regulatory Committee, and is a past-president of the Minnesota Geotechnical Society.
Jason Harvey, senior geotechnical engineer, has performed extensive work related to tailings management for mining clients in North America and internationally. His work has focused on in situ and advanced laboratory testing for the geotechnical characterization of mine tailings; analysis and design of tailings storage facilities; and performance monitoring and evaluations in support of ongoing tailings storage facility construction and operations. He has also performed dam safety reviews and contributed to independent third-party reviews of tailings storage facilities. In addition, Jason has performed geotechnical investigation, design, and construction services for seepage cutoff walls and remediation of hydroelectric dams. Jason serves on the United States Society on Dams (USSD) Tailings Dams Committee.
Related projects
To support risk mitigation and environmental stewardship, Nutrien engaged Barr to conduct a system inventory and semiquantitative risk analysis (SQRA) of over 100 earthen dike segments across six potash mines in Saskatchewan. Barr documented each dike’s history, characteristics, and failure consequences, then developed an SQRA system to assess risks related to fine tailings and brine containment. Risk scores—based on probability, consequence, and uncertainty—were used to recommend response levels and prioritize actions like monitoring, inspections, and analysis. These recommendations align with Nutrien’s practices, industry standards, and regulatory approvals. The results were integrated with Nutrien’s tailings management goals to identify dikes needing further investigation or improvement, helping the company focus resources and maintain alignment with evolving risk management strategies.
Suncor Energy Inc. operates and develops a few oil sands mining and processing facilities near Fort McMurray, Alberta. These sites have several ponds and embankment dam structures that provide containment for tailings and process water—some of which are registered as extreme consequence dams under Alberta’s Water (Ministerial) Regulation. The regulation requires that a dam safety review (DSR) be undertaken every five years for "Very High" and "Extreme" consequence structures. In 2022, Barr conducted a DSR for one of the external tailings facilities and its containment structures, which is registered as an extreme consequence facility. The DSR included review of dam risks inherent in the design, operation, and performance of the structure, as well as review of associated external risks that could impact the safety of the facility and its dams.
Barr was commissioned by a confidential client to conduct an independent DSR of a very large tailings-storage facility (TSF) in Mexico. This external TSF, built using centerline construction, is classified as an extreme consequence facility based on the highest potential consequence and/or the failure scenario that would result in the worst consequences, which requires a DSR be completed every five years. The DSR was conducted in general accordance with standard practices and regulatory requirements. Among the primary topics addressed were shear strength characterization of the tailings and foundation soils, deformation of the dam, instrumentation thresholds, and static liquefaction, in addition to operational and governance topics.