On May 6th, 2021, the International Council on Mining & Metals (“ICMM”) launched two new resources of standards, intended to assist mining companies to improve the management of tailings facilities, as well as to comply with safety and environmental requirements, also demanded by investors.
The standards will have a significant impact and relevance in Brazil, and are listed in the following documents:
- Conformance Protocols for the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (“Conformance Protocols”);
- Tailings Management - Good Practice Guide (“The Guide”)
The Conformance Protocols were developed for the support of the integration of the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (“The Standard”) into ICMM’s existing assurance and validation processes.
Among the Conformance Protocol’s proposed goals, we highlight:
(i) the provision of clear criteria for the implementation and compliance with all applicable requirements set by The Standard;
(ii) the assistance in the conduction of self-assessments on the progress of The Standard’s implementation.
The Guide aims to mitigate the risks of catastrophic and fatal environmental events through:
(i) the implementation of good practices on engineering for tailings management across its entire life cycle, encompassing its conception, design, construction, operation, closure, and post-closure;
(ii) the creation of governance standards in tailings management, through corporate policy, accountability, responsibility, information management, among others.
Veirano’s environmental and mining teams are highly experienced on the subject and are available to provide further clarification.