Tailings are the finely ground rock and process liquids left after ore is milled. They are stored behind engineered dams, and when those structures fail the consequences can be severe and long-lasting.
The pages in this section collect chronologies of documented failures, individual case studies, and the engineering and monitoring practices used to prevent them.
Tailings: all pages in this section
Tailings
Tailings Dam Failures: A Chronology of Major Incidents
A sourced chronology of major tailings dam failures worldwide, from Church Rock and Stava to Brumadinho, with material released and consequences.
Tailings
Uranium Mill Tailings Dam Failures
Documented uranium mill tailings dam failures, led by Church Rock, New Mexico, 1979: cause, release, cleanup, lessons and how legacy sites are managed.
Tailings
The 2010 Ajka (Kolontar) Red Mud Spill, Hungary
What happened when the red mud reservoir at Ajka and Kolontár, Hungary, failed on 4 October 2010: volume, victims, chemistry and the court cases.
Tailings
The Stava Tailings Dam Failure, Italy, 1985
The 19 July 1985 Stava tailings dam collapse in Val di Stava, Italy: what happened, what investigators found, the 268 deaths, the trial and lessons.
Tailings
Tailings Dam Safety: Causes of Failure and Risk Factors
Why tailings dams fail: overtopping, weak foundations, seepage, earthquakes, upstream construction and management gaps, plus the GISTM 2020 standard.
Tailings
Monitoring and Surveillance of Tailings Dams
How tailings dams are monitored: piezometers, inclinometers, settlement surveys, satellite InSAR, inspections, emergency plans and independent review.
Tailings
Uranium Industry Incidents Beyond Dams: Spills, Leaks and Legacy Sites
Documented non-dam uranium industry incidents: the 1986 Sequoyah Fuels UF6 accident, the 2013 Ranger leach tank failure, and legacy mine and mill sites.