Why are we not discussing Tailings dams?

[Squaredy]

Finally the world seems to be waking up to global warming, air pollution, etc.  Not enough is being done yet but I detect a sea change in attitudes.  Why then is no-one talking about the vast scale of industrial pollution that is Tailings dams?  Even when one collapsed in Brazil in January killing several hundred people I don’t recall much discussion of the 11 million cubic metres of toxic mud that then was spread down the valley.  I didn’t even know it was a Tailings damn until I read about it in Geographical months later.  I thought dams were massive concrete structures built to provide drinking water and provide hydro-electric power. 

 

It turns out there are thousands of dams in the world (800 in Brazil) whose sole purpose is to hold toxic waste.  And is this just a short-term storage facility whilst the waste is disposed of?  No, these dams (which are themselves built of mining waste and so are potentially unstable) will be around for thousands of years, and need constant monitoring.  I wonder who will pay for that!?

 

The UK stopped using home sourced Iron Ore many years ago and now imports because it is so much cheaper.  Well here is one major reason it is cheaper – in many countries they extract the ore, then just dump the waste in vast pools endangering the lives of anyone living downstream, not to mention local wildlife.

 

If you want to read a nice little summary is here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-47159216

 

Quiz question:  What is the largest man made structure in the world as measured by solid volume?  Yep, you guessed it a Tailings dam (the Syncrude Tailings Dam in Alberta Canada to be exact).

 

I would say most Arbtalkers have a greater than average awareness of environmental issues.  Anyone got any views or other snippets they would like to share?  Am I the only person who was very ignorant of these vast toxic dumps?  Apparently there are even a few in the UK – anyone know where?

[Matthew Storrs]

Won’t most quarries and mines have a tailing damn in one for or another? I know they have similar thing here on Dartmoor where they have one of the worlds largest tungsten mines which closed down operation a few months ago- what will become of the waste pits/lagoons is anyone’s guess- they’re pretty vast and I doubt habitable by any form of wildlife- hopefully better managed then other parts of the world perhaps....

Edited May 2, 2019 by Matthew Storrs

[openspaceman]

1 hour ago, Squaredy said:

Am I the only person who was very ignorant of these vast toxic dumps?  Apparently there are even a few in the UK – anyone know where?

I wasn't aware of them specifically but am well aware of the water from old mine workings  poisoning the land they flow onto. Trying to re-establish trees on the ground is an area where biochar shows promise in being able to lock up the heavy metals, the FC did some work on this in Wales

[Matthew Storrs]

1 minute ago, openspaceman said:

I wasn't aware of them specifically but am well aware of the water from old mine workings  poisoning the land they flow onto. Trying to re-establish trees on the ground is an area where biochar shows promise in being able to lock up the heavy metals, the FC did some work on this in Wales

I learnt to swim in an old flooded Tin mine pit- until we learned it had high levels of Arsnic present in the water!

[openspaceman]

Just now, Matthew Storrs said:

I learnt to swim in an old flooded Tin mine pit- until we learned it had high levels of Arsnic present in the water!

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger?

 

I think before the mines an quarries act of 1954 mines just got abandoned by the owners.

 

This is an early example of how capitalism fails to address the external costs, so entrepreneurs could exploit natural resources and labour to amass their fortunes but in doing so cause long term pollution such that once the problem is recognised legislation has to be introduced to control free enterprise. Leaving the whole community to pick up the tab for the earlier failings.

[difflock]

8 hours ago, openspaceman said:

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger?

 

I think before the mines an quarries act of 1954 mines just got abandoned by the owners.

 

This is an early example of how capitalism fails to address the external costs, so entrepreneurs could exploit natural resources and labour to amass their fortunes but in doing so cause long term pollution such that once the problem is recognised legislation has to be introduced to control free enterprise. Leaving the whole community to pick up the tab for the earlier failings.

And under Communism, oh lets say the old USSR, for instance, was it any different?

I would attribute it to simple short-sighted individual human greed, rather than any economic system.

[Khriss]

...... Iron Ore ? Iron or wot.... ? K

[Khriss]

( I am not sure if it's my Friday ignorance Ore my apathy- don't know an don't care )

[openspaceman]

42 minutes ago, difflock said:

And under Communism, oh lets say the old USSR, for instance, was it any different?

I would attribute it to simple short-sighted individual human greed, rather than any economic system.

All indications are external costs were more likely to be ignored under communism but the time we were discussing was in UK during a period of rampant  growth at the expense of workers and the environment and an example of why free enterprise has in fact to be regulated.

 

I do not believe even the socialist governments after the first and second world wars approached communism, even though the US thought they did and severely restricted them.

[Stere]

Why can't the spoil go back in the holes they dug it out of instead of behind dams?

 

Probably it will cost alot more but surely a  better system is possible if the regulations were in place?