What is a tailings dam used for?
What is a tailings dam used for?
A tailings dam is typically an earth-fill embankment dam used to store byproducts of mining operations after separating the ore from the gangue. Tailings can be liquid, solid, or a slurry of fine particles, and are usually highly toxic and potentially radioactive.
How many people died in Merriespruit disaster?
17 people
On 22nd February 1994, the partial collapse of a dam (similar to the dams which collapsed in Stava) where gold mining waste was stored, destroyed the suburb of Merriespruit, killing 17 people and causing wide-scale destruction.
Why do tailings dams fail?
In the literature on the topic, the majority of the tailings storage-facility failures discussed can be attributed to a few factors – in particular, the lack of management continuity and inadequate resourcing (especially financial) for the facility.
What is tailing dam failure?
Tailings dams are made up of mining residue deposits, and they represent a high risk, in terms of mechanical instability. In the event of collapse, the tailings in such dams may be released and flow over long distances, with the potential risk of extensive damage to property and life.
How does a tailings dam work?
A tailings dam is typically an earth-fill embankment dam used to store byproducts of mining operations after extracting the sought-after elements. Tailings are pumped into a pond to allow the sedimentation – or separation – of solids from the water.
What caused the Laingsburg flood 1981?
After three days of almost continuous rain in late January 1981 across the catchment area of the Buffels River, the usually desiccated soil of the Moordenaars Karoo had reached saturation point resulting in a wall of water that swept down the river towards Laingsburg.
How many tailing dams are there in the world?
3,500
There is no comprehensive global registry of tailings dams. It is estimated there are around 18,000 dams, 3,500 of which are active.
Where do tailings come from?
Tailings are a by-product of mining. After ore containing an economically-recoverable commodity is mined from the earth, that commodity is extracted in a processing plant or mill. After the commodity of value is extracted from the ore material, the resultant waste stream is termed “tailings”.
Which river runs through Laingsburg?
Buffels River
Groot River (Southern Cape)
| Groot River | |
|---|---|
| Train approaching Laingsburg crossing the bridge over the Buffels River, the upper section of the Groot River | |
| Location of the Groot River mouth | |
| Etymology | From Grootrivier, meaning “big river” in the Afrikaans language |
| Location |
How many people died in Laingsburg?
104 people
104 people died in the Laingsburg flood, and only 32 bodies were ever recovered. Out of the 184 houses in town, only 21 remained untouched by the water, the others were either completely destroyed, or so badly damaged that it had to be rebuilt.
What are the 2 main types of mining?
What are the main methods of mining?
- Underground mines are more expensive and are often used to reach deeper deposits.
- Surface mines are typically used for more shallow and less valuable deposits.
- Placer mining is used to sift out valuable metals from sediments in river channels, beach sands, or other environments.
When did the Merriespruit tailings dam disaster happen?
The Merriespruit tailings dam disaster occurred on the night of 22 February 1994 when a tailings dam failed and flooded the suburb of Merriespruit, Virginia, Free State, South Africa. Seventeen people were killed as a result. Late in the afternoon on the day of the failure, a thunderstorm occurred and about 50 mm of rain fell within 30 minutes.
What was the cause of the Merriespruit spill?
Water mismanagement was to blame that caused 600,000 m3 of tailings (1.2 Million tonnes) to mobilize out of the impoundment where the flow eventually stopped 2 km away in the town of Merriespruit (Penman 1998; Davies 2001). 17 people were killed and scores of houses were demolished (Fourie 2003).
What was the name of the mine tailings dam that failed?
Number 4A in the Harmony Gold Mine tailings complex failed. The dam was designed in the early seventies by the mine’s metallurgical manager and a representative from the tailings dam contractor. The town of Merriespruit, a 250-house suburb of the Goldfields town of Virginia, was already established when the No. 4 dam was started in 1978.
