
Senior Geotechnical Engineer
Knight Piésold
Tailings re-mining and progressive restoration as suitable forms to reduce mining impact.
Tailings pose significant environmental challenges, including land degradation, water contamination, and dust pollution. To mitigate these impacts, the mining industry has increasingly adopted tailings re-mining and filter-pressed tailings stacks as preferred alternatives to conventional tailings storage facilities (TSFs). Knight Piésold has supported the design, operation, and closure of TSFs, advising on cost-effective, environmentally responsible methodologies. Progressive restoration has emerged as a sustainable strategy to reduce the impact of tailings stacks. It involves rehabilitating sections of tailings deposits during active operations, rather than waiting until closure, allowing for real-time assessment and adjustment of restoration techniques. This approach is suitable for both small and very large-scale projects. Studies have also assessed the feasibility of re-mining tailings from facilities originally designed for permanent closure as forms or reducing tailings impact. However, tailings re-mining introduces technical risks that may challenge projects viability. A case study is presented to illustrate the outcomes and implications of such an analysis.