Climate & Environment

Tailings

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Definition

Tailings are the finely ground rock and process effluents remaining after valuable minerals are separated from ore — the overwhelming bulk of mined material. Global production runs to billions of tonnes annually, stored in tailings storage facilities that constitute some of the largest engineered structures on Earth. Tailings frequently contain residual metals, sulfides (acid-generating when exposed), processing chemicals including cyanide, and sometimes radioactivity, making their containment a permanent environmental liability.

References

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This reference provides supporting context for how “Tailings” is defined and used.

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Overview

How it is used

The concept structures mine waste regulation, closure and bonding requirements, the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management, and critical minerals debates (more mining means more tailings).

Why it matters

The energy transition is a mining transition; tailings are the mountain-sized question of how cleanly the metals are won.