ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT & SUSTAINABILITY
Regional Tailings Storage Facility (RTSF) at DRDGOLD.
Shift towards stricter regulatory frameworks for TSFs By Nelendhre Moodley In the wake of disastrous failures such as Jagersfontein tailings dam collapse and more recently, incidents in Zambia and Indonesia, the mining industry is actively focused on fast-tracking a shift towards stricter global regulatory frameworks, enhanced monitoring technologies, and a review of mine waste management. A ccording to the Federation for a Sustainable Environment
(GISTM) explicitly requires that new facilities account for uncertainty, including climate-related impacts. Increasingly intense rainfall, higher flood peaks, and prolonged wet periods elevate the risk of overtopping and instability, particularly where design assumptions, freeboard, or drainage capacity are inadequate. The GISTM itself was developed in response to recognised shortcomings in governance, emergency preparedness, independent review, community disclosure, and board-level oversight, with the overarching objective of achieving zero harm to people and the environment,” explains Liefferink. Operational pressures are also playing a role. Whilst some mining companies are often incentivised to maximise throughput and storage capacity, which can result in facilities operating close to—or beyond—their intended design limits, there are arguably many mining companies in South Africa that deposit tailings responsibly. Recent events underscore these risks. According to Liefferink, the Jagersfontein tailings dam collapse prompted a formal technical investigation, with findings publicly released by government in 2025, reflecting the severity with which the incident was treated. “The failure serves as a stark national warning that legacy and retreatment of TSFs remain vulnerable to catastrophic failure when governance, design assumptions, monitoring, or operational discipline are inadequate.” Liefferink adds that at a local scale, additional failures have
CEO, Mariette Liefferink, the heightened concern related to the heightened concern related to tailings storage facility (TSF) failures cannot be attributed to a single cause; rather, it reflects the convergence of several key risk drivers. She states that foremost among these is the critical importance of responsible water management. Inadequate control of water within a TSF is widely recognised as a primary trigger of catastrophic failure. “Elevated pore pressures, insufficient drainage, poor pond management, and excessive saturation are consistently identified as major precursors. Research into flow failures further highlights drainage deficiencies and, in many cases, static liquefaction as dominant failure mechanisms. In addition, internal and external erosion, as well as slope instability, contribute significantly to failure risk.” A further driver is the prevalence of ageing infrastructure and legacy facilities. Many TSFs were designed to outdated standards, subsequently raised, repurposed, or operated beyond the limits that would be acceptable under modern risk frameworks. This is particularly relevant in South Africa, where extensive legacy gold tailings footprints remain. Historically, many of these facilities were constructed using upstream design methods—typically the lowest-cost but highest-risk approach. Further to this, climate variability and change is introducing additional and evolving risks. “The Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management
22 MODERN MINING www.modernminingmagazine.co.za | JULY 2026
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker