Introduction and context Evolving Expectations for Tailings Management The mining industry is experiencing unprecedented scrutiny regarding the safety, sustainability, and long-term performance of tailings storage facilities (TSFs). Over the past two decades, the frequency and consequences of tailings dam failures have increased, resulting in severe social, environmental, and economic impacts. This trend highlighted in global reviews such as those presented by (Gomez and Romo, Paste 2024)—has led to stronger public expectations, tighter regulation, and a need for more transparent governance across the sector. The adoption of the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM) marks a pivotal shift. GISTM raises requirements for performance, risk management, and disclosure across all tailings technologies, encouraging operators to evaluate alternatives that lower potential failure consequences and enable more robust long-term stewardship. Against this backdrop, mining companies are exploring a spectrum of tailings management strategies—including thickened, paste, filtered, and co-disposal approaches—to meet both regulatory expectations and their own ESG commitments. Increasing Interest in Dewatered Tailings Approaches Dewatering technologies have gained increasing industry attention because they reduce the volume of water stored in TSFs, improve deposit stability, and provide more options for progressive closure. Documents such as (Josic TMW2024) show that thickened, paste, filtered, and co-disposal methods have each advanced due to industry pressures to reduce catastrophic risk and enhance sustainability. Nevertheless, adoption has been uneven across regions and commodities, driven by differences in climate, regulatory environments, and mine-scale constraints. Although dewatering technologies have existed for decades, many operations—particularly large, lower-grade mines—historically lacked incentives to adopt them. That situation has shifted dramatically due to stricter regulatory frameworks, higher water scarcity, and the availability of modern high-throughput filtration systems. The rise in interest is therefore not exclusive to filtered tailings; rather, it reflects a broader industry movement toward lower-risk, lower-water, more controllable tailings systems. Figure 1 shows an example of a high-altitude water-rich tailings storage facility (TSF) in the Andes region. Figure 1 Example of a high-altitude, water-rich tailings storage facility
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