Tailings & Waste
Tailings storage facilities and management for the long run
We design mine tailings storage facilities that prioritize long-term safety and sustainability. With specialists located on six continents, we bring worldwide experience in all phases of design and implementation for tailings management projects. Proper tailings management is critical for the mining industry, environment, and communities around the globe. It’s a core service—and we have experience under a variety of climatic, social, environmental, and regulatory conditions.
Whether you need geotechnical stability and analysis, storage facility monitoring, or tailings storage design and management, we can provide a variety of tailing support services.
Our experience in tailings allows us to provide a full spectrum of tailings solutions including engineer of record (EOR) services. We currently serve as EORs for tailings facilities in North America, South America, Central America, and Asia.
Tailings management: What’s holding us back from tailings valorization?
Many of the barriers to tailings valorization are not new to the mining industry—technical and financial challenges. But there are examples of successful tailings rerouting for tellurium extraction and another example of generating revenue from bauxite residue. While mining operations need to make sense financially, creating a truly circular economy in the mining industry should be viewed as a reward in and of itself. Read MoreEngineer of record services
Our work is done to the latest standards in the tailings community. This includes guidance from groups like the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management, International Council on Mining & Metals, Mining Association of Canada, International Organization for Standardization, or International Committee on Large Dams. We specialize in gap analyses to get sites up to the “new standards,” and have the track record to serve as a trusted advisor for any tailings project.Reduce risks in tailings management
Industry trends—towards risk mitigation, water conservation, and the increasing importance of the social license to operate—present tailings storage challenges. Changing regulations, permits, and guidelines mean tailings storage facilities need constant monitoring by geotechnical engineers who have an intimate knowledge of the site’s construction and history. In some cases, the adoption of alternative tailings disposal methods, such as thickened, paste, filtered, or tailings and waste rock co-disposal may be the solution.Mine waste cover design for reclamation and closure
Mine waste covers reduce erosion from wind and water while creating a stable environment suitable for revegetation and post-mining land use. Covers reduce the influx of water and oxygen, which reduces seepage of acid rock drainage and metals leaching from facilities. An intentionally designed cover can reduce long-term seepage management and result in significant cost savings. Further, vegetated covers using native plants blend with the natural surroundings and have lasting environmental benefits.Our People
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Bing Wang
Senior Tailings Management Specialist
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Jason Cumbers
Senior Associate, Geotechnical Engineer
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Lucy Philip
Principal, Senior Geotechnical Engineer
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Hector Barriga
Principal, Geotechnical Engineer
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Melanie Davis
Principal Geotechnical Engineer
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Robert Rekowski
Senior Principal Tailings Engineer
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Efraín Rondinel
Tailings and Waste Discipline Leader
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Abraham Tacho
Regional Business Development Leader, Mexico
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Andrew Watson
Senior Principal, Mining
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Michelle Theron
Principal, Senior Geotechnical Engineer
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Luis Arcos
Mining Manager
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Sam Abbaszadeh
Senior Associate, Senior Civil Engineer
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Amanda Adams
Principal, Operations Leader, Mining, Minerals & Metals
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Diego A. Penate
Senior Geotechnical Engineer
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Patrick Corser
Discipline Leader, Tailings and Water
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Work with passionate people who are experts in their field. Our teams love what they do and are driven by how their work makes an impact on the communities they serve.