Chile Advances Tailings Agenda For 2025-26

According to BNAmericas website, the Chilean Ministry of Mines has announced the 2025-26 tailings agenda, proposing legislative amendments to upgrade domestic standards to international standards and conducting registration to identify important tailings.

This agenda aims to strengthen tailings management in the country. According to data from the Chilean Geological Survey (Sernageomin), out of 795 tailings ponds, 475 are idle and 176 are abandoned.

The plan solicited opinions from both the public and private sectors. One key goal is to develop guidelines and modernize the regulatory system. The current laws regarding the design, construction, and operation of tailings facilities were enacted in 2007.

This strategy lists three tasks:

——Strengthen the inspection, filing, and visualization of tailings data, and consider developing a comprehensive information platform for this purpose;

——Contact the owners of tailings dams, encourage the relocation and restoration of tailings, and promote feasibility studies, environmental impact assessments, and relocation pilot projects;

——Implement tailings resource utilization projects to promote the redevelopment and reuse of tailings, extracting elements such as copper, iron, titanium, cobalt, and rare earths from them.

At the end of next year, the Chilean government will release a technical guide to guide tailings reuse projects and provide financing tools or encourage related suggestions.

Chilean Mining Minister Aurora Williams encourages the industry to implement these measures.

According to Sernageomin's data, there are currently 15 tailings dams under construction. This includes Codelco's Salvador copper mine, Enami's Matta beneficiation plant, and Minera Gold's Salares Norte project.

Sociedad Punta del Cobre is expanding the El Espino tailings pond in the Coquimbo region, while Mantos Copper is constructing a tailings dam for the Mantoverde project in the Atacama region.

Original source: https://geoglobal.mnr.gov.cn/zx/kczygl/zcdt/202502/t20250206_9244402.htm