About three out of four environmental incidents involve tailings mishaps resulting primarily from improper water management and overtopping or breaching of dams. The issues with water management typically arise from the lack of a dynamic water balance and treatment needed to deal with high precipitation events. When cyanide is used in metallurgical processing elevated and/or residual levels can exist in the tailings and decant solutions. As a result, proper water management and tailings storage is integral to development of an effective cyanide management program at a mine site. The following documents and links provide a background on tailings and water management including case studies.

Mining Association of Canada Tailings and Water Management Guidelines
The Mining Association of Canada (MAC) published guidelines dealing with the management of tailings storage facilities and mine waters.
Download Manual 1 Now (553 kB)
Download Manual 2 Now (3.6 MB)

Risk Management and Contingency Planning in the Management of Mine Tailings
UNEP report from a workshop discussing risk management and contingency planning in the management of mine tailings.
Download Now (17.8 MB)

Managing the Risks of Tailings Disposal
UNEP report from a workshop discussing risk management in tailings disposal.
Download Now (19.4 MB)

Heap Leach Pad and Tailings Impoundment Closure
USEPA publicaiton on the closure of heap leach pads and tailings impoundments.
Download Now (2.0 MB)

Environment Australia Management Handbooks
Environment Australia has published a series of best practice environmental management handbooks for the mining industry.
General Handbook (1.0 MB)
Hazardous Materials (7.5 MB)
Sulphidic Mine Wastes and Acid Drainage (3.6 MB)
Tailings Containment (1.8 MB)
Water Management (2.0 MB)