❓ A WA parliamentary question seeks information on tailings dams, their maintenance, and associated standards. The response provides data on the number of active and inactive dams, clarifies responsibility for maintenance, and outlines the guidelines and responsible department.
AnsweredQoN 2995Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
(1) How many tailing’s dams are there in Western Australia that are, -
(a) active; and
(b) inactive?
(2) Who is responsible for the maintenance of these dams?
(3) What are the standards for the design and maintenance of these dams?
(4) Who sets these standards?
(a) active; and
(b) inactive?
(2) Who is responsible for the maintenance of these dams?
(3) What are the standards for the design and maintenance of these dams?
(4) Who sets these standards?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
16 November 2010
Responded by
Minister for Mines and Petroleum
Response time
7 days
1) The Department of Mines and Petroleum's MINEDEX database lists that there are 435 Tailings Storage Facilities in Western Australia;
a) 215 of these are listed as active.
b) 220 are listed as inactive.
2) The tenement holder is responsible for the maintenance of Tailings Storage Facilities.
3) The standards are set out in guidelines produced by the Department of Mines and Petroleum, including "
Guidelines for Safe Design and Operating Standards for Tailings Storage
" dated May 1999, "
Guidelines on the Development of an Operating Manual for Tailings Storage
" dated October 1998 and "
Guidelines for Mining Proposals in Western Australia
" dated February 2006. These Guidelines provide proponents with guidance on the required investigations, design, supervision and maintenance requirements for these facilities. The Guidelines also refer the reader to the Guidelines produced by the Australian National Committee on Large Dams (ANCOLD).
4) The Department of Mines and Petroleum set standards for Tailings Storage Facilities associated with Mining Activity in Western Australia through the publication of guidelines.
Notice: This document is created or edited using unregistered or evaluation copy of rtLib valid for testing or development purposes only. To use it for productive or any other purposes please register it. You may purchase the license on
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a) 215 of these are listed as active.
b) 220 are listed as inactive.
2) The tenement holder is responsible for the maintenance of Tailings Storage Facilities.
3) The standards are set out in guidelines produced by the Department of Mines and Petroleum, including "
Guidelines for Safe Design and Operating Standards for Tailings Storage
" dated May 1999, "
Guidelines on the Development of an Operating Manual for Tailings Storage
" dated October 1998 and "
Guidelines for Mining Proposals in Western Australia
" dated February 2006. These Guidelines provide proponents with guidance on the required investigations, design, supervision and maintenance requirements for these facilities. The Guidelines also refer the reader to the Guidelines produced by the Australian National Committee on Large Dams (ANCOLD).
4) The Department of Mines and Petroleum set standards for Tailings Storage Facilities associated with Mining Activity in Western Australia through the publication of guidelines.
Notice: This document is created or edited using unregistered or evaluation copy of rtLib valid for testing or development purposes only. To use it for productive or any other purposes please register it. You may purchase the license on
http://www.rtlib.com
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