Mount Isa Mines Tailings Storage Facility

Tailings are the residual materials produced from the processing of ore. Tailings typically comprise of sand, silt and clay particles in a slurry form.

A tailings storage facility is designed and managed to contain the tailings that are produced by a mine.

It is contained within our mining lease approximately 3.9 kilometres south-west of Mount Isa and upstream of both Mount Isa and Lake Moondarra. It covers an area of 1,500 hectares and is contained within a valley and several retaining embankments.

A. Glencore has established a robust governance program through its Tailings Storage Facility & Dam Management Standard, which is aligned with the following national, international and local Queensland guidelines:

• Global Industry Standard for Tailings Management (GISTM)
• Australian National Committee on Large Dams (ANCOLD)
• Department of Environment & Science (DES)

The governance program includes routine surveillance, dam safety inspections, and independent dam safety audits and reviews.  

Our tailings storage facilities are designed and constructed to meet and, in some cases exceed, global engineering standards. They are designed to withstand extreme wet weather and significant earthquakes (up to 6.9 magnitude). 

If the Mount Isa Mines tailings storage facility fails, there is a population who would be at risk. However, it is important to understand that it is extremely unlikely the tailings storage facility will fail.

We know this because we are constantly monitoring and assessing its safety. The tailings storage facility has been in use since 1931 and has increased in size since then, with the construction of multiple dams and walls. We have robust systems in place to prevent failures. Our continuous monitoring means we identify and rectify potential issues before they become a risk to people or the environment.

A comprehensive monitoring program is in place which includes; daily, weekly, monthly and annual inspections; continuous monitoring of the structure using specialised equipment; regular inspections by independent engineering experts and regular review of management and safety practices by independent auditors.

We are fully prepared in the event of an emergency. We work closely with the Local Disaster Management Group and affected community members to test our plans and ensure everyone understands what to do in the unlikely event of an emergency.

Glencore emergency response and preparedness processes include early warning, which in most cases, will warn the community at least 72 hours ahead in the unlikely event of potential failure. We can do this due to our extensive and continuous monitoring and surveillance. By warning people ahead of time, we help avoid more serious impacts.