Tailings facility failures in 2014 and an update on failure statistics

In 2014, the failure of at least three tailings facilities was reported on the internet: Mt Polley in British Columbia, the Duke Energy Eden facility in North Carolina, and the Minas Geras failure in Brazil. This paper collates publicly available information about the 2014 tailings failures and examines the subsequent social and regulatory responses in the three different jurisdictions in which the failures occurred. The paper proceeds to update tailings failure statistics in the light of these and 2012 and 2013 tailings failures. The authors have no personal knowledge of any of these failed facilities, but draw instead on public reports and professional experience in discussing the perpetually fascinating and perplexing issue of continued failure of mine tailings facilities.Applied Science, Faculty ofMining Engineering, Keevil Institute ofUnreviewedOthe