Guidance Document Health, Safety and ...

A revision of Part 10 of the Health Safety and Reclamation Code for Mines in British Columbia, 2016 (Code) was published on July 20, 2016. The Code revision was the product of work directed by the Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM) and supported by the Tailings Technical Review Sub‐committee to address seven recommendations made by the Independent Expert Engineering Review Panel following their review of the Mount Polley Tailings Facility Breach (January 30, 2015 final report on the Mount Polley tailings dam), and contains new requirements for both existing mines that include tailings storage facilities under their Mines Act permit and for mine owners who plan to include tailings storage facilities in new Mines Act Permit applications.

This guideline has been established to provide specific guidance and context to owners, engineers of records, regulators, consultants and auditors on the Ministry of Energy and Mines’ (MEM) expectations for the application of the Code, and to assist operations in understanding and complying with the Code when it comes to tailings management. Variances from the Code must be supported with appropriate engineering justification, and submitted for approval by the Chief Inspector.

An overview of the elements of a tailings management system is provided in this guideline. Although detailed instructions on developing and implementing specific elements are beyond the scope of this document, references are provided throughout. It is intended that periodic improvements will be made to this guideline as standards of practice advance and as MEM receives feedback from users.