Failure of B.C.'s mine tailings dams could put thousands of lives at risk, says report
- Media Manager
- Jul 14, 2022
- 1 min read
Glacier Media
Written By: Stefan Labbé
Published: July 15th, 2022
As mine tailings dams grow in size and number, a new analysis warns thousands of lives could be put at risk if they fail.
The scale and pace of the construction of new mine tailings dams could put thousands of lives at risk across British Columbia should they fail, a new report has found.
The report, conducted by international mining expert Steven Emerman on behalf of BC Mining Law Reform and Skeena Wild Conservation Trust, found nearly half of B.C.’s existing mine sites with tailings storage facilities are likely to have high, very high, or extreme consequences in the event of dam failure.
Among sites currently inactive or undergoing maintenance, 46 per cent were found to have the potential to cause loss of human life, environmental fallout, or significant economic damage. But for currently operational or proposed tailings dams, that potential jumped to 83 per cent, found the report.
