Review a list of changes made to the latest Safety First: Guidelines for Responsible Mine Tailings Management.
Safety First was originally released in 2020 to address the need for more protective tailings management. After its release, the authors received feedback on the guidelines from frontline community, Indigenous, NGO, academic, and technical experts. In light of this feedback, the authors held a series of regional workshops to hear from mining-affected communities, local NGOs, and Indigenous Peoples about their experiences with tailings and to receive their comments on the guidelines. The workshops were held in four languages and included over 200 participants from five continents. The authors also solicited and received written comments.
These comments helped inform the 2022 version of Safety First. The authors would like to thank all the community members, organizations, academics, and scientists who provided invaluable feedback on the original version of the guidelines and helped us create a stronger, more community-centered revised document. The Safety First guidelines are not final and will be regularly updated to reflect changes in tailings design, management, regulation, and best practices.
The authors hope this document can be one step toward proactively protecting the interests of frontline communities in tailings management.
Download the full report (pdf)
For More Information
- Fighting Mining Injustice (main Earthworks campaign page)
- Communities at Risk
- The Global Industry Standard On Tailings Management vs Safety First Guidelines (pdf)