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Tailings Storage Facilities

We recognise the potential risks Tailings Storage Facilities (TSFs) present to our people, our communities, the environment and stakeholders. Our Approach to Tailings Management reflects our commitment to safe and responsible management throughout the TSF lifecycle and applies to South32-operated TSFs. 

This page, along with our Tailings Storage Facilities Directory (.xlsx), details our TSFs at our operations around the world and collates our public disclosures for those facilities. The Directory also includes TSFs at our non-operated joint ventures.

You can learn more about our approach to tailings management here.

Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management

As an ICMM member company, we are committed to implementing the GISTM at all South32-operated TSFs. Tailings storage facilities with an extreme or very high potential consequence classification are required to be in conformance with the GISTM by 5 August 2023, while TSFs with a lower consequence rating are required to be in conformance by 5 August 2025. 

South32 does not have any ‘extreme’ consequence TSFs, with only Worsley Alumina having ‘very high’ consequence TSFs.

In alignment with the GISTM we manage our facilities based on the level or risk and engage with our communities on the design, management, and operation of our facilities, communicating the degree of risk inherent to the facility.  

We are committed to regularly updating and testing our tailings emergency response preparedness and response plans.

Jump to:
Australia: Worsley Alumina | GEMCO (Australia Manganese) | Cannington
North America: Hermosa
Southern Africa: HMM - Mamatwan | HMM - Wessels
South America: Cerro Matoso

Worsley Alumina

Worsley Alumina

Worsley Alumina is an integrated bauxite mining and alumina refining operation in the south-west of Western Australia. 

Learn more about Worsley's operations

Following processing, bauxite process residue (commonly called “red mud”) is thickened into a slurry comprising fine ground residue minerals, minor amounts of dissolved sodium compounds and process water.  The slurry is pumped to the Bauxite Residue Disposal Areas (BRDAs) for storage.

Worsley Alumina refinery includes four Solar Evaporation Ponds (SEPs) for the evaporative disposal of liquid wastes from the refinery. The liquid waste was primarily neutralised (with lime) sulphuric acid resulting from the cleaning of various process and power station facilities.

 

Details of tailings facilities

BRDA1 is a tailings facility in active closure located to the north of the processing facility.

BRDA2, BRDA4 and BRDA4X are active TSF cells that form the Northern Valley BRDA area.

BRDA4E is a proposed new cell being constructed as part of Northern Valley BRDAs.

BRDA5 is an active TSF with separate cell to rotate tailings deposition in the Southern Vally BRDA area.

SEP1, SEP2A, SEP3 and SEP4 are active Solar Evaporation Ponds located to the north of the refinery.

Public disclosure documentation

GEMCO (Australia Manganese)

GEMCO (Australia Manganese)

Our Groote Eylandt Mining Company operation (GEMCO), located on an island in the Gulf of Carpentaria off the Australian coast, produces high-grade manganese ore.

Learn more about GEMCO's operations

Details of Tailings Facilities

TSFs 5, 6 and 7 are inactive TSFs located to the north of the concentrator site. This combined facility is the oldest slime and sands storage facility onsite and is an amalgamation of the original TSFs from site inception, constructed over the original mine pit.

TSF 8 is an inactive sands TSF that currently being reprocessed. TSF 8 was constructed around the former E-Quarry.

TSF 10 is an inactive sands TSF that currently being reprocessed located to the south of the processing plant. TSF 10 was constructed around a former quarry which was part of E-West Quarry.

TSF 11 is an inactive slimes TSF located to the south-east of the processing plant. TSF 11 is an amalgamation of the original TSF 9 and TSF 11A. TSF 11 is constructed over the former A-South Quarry.

TSF 13 is an active slimes TSF located to the south-east of the processing plant, south of TSF 11. TSF 13 was commissioned in 2018 and is currently operating as an active slimes storage facility.

TSF 15 is an active slimes TSF located to the south of the processing plant.

TSF 18 is an active sands TSF located to the south-west of the processing plant. TSF 18 was constructed over TSF 14 which in turn was constructed over TSF 12.

TSF 20 is an active and recently constructed sands TSF. It incorporates TSF 16 as a direct raise construction. 

Public disclosure documentation

Cannington

Cannington

In north-west Queensland, on an old sheep and cattle station, is our Cannington mine, one of the world's largest producers of lead and silver. Approximately 60 per cent of the tailings produced are pumped back underground as cement stabilized paste to infill mine voids with the remaining 40 per cent disposed in an above ground TSF.

Learn more about Cannington's operations

Details of Tailings Facilities

The Cannington TSF is divided into 3 cells (Cell 1, Cell 2, Cell 3), which are operated on a rotational basis, to allow for active deposition, drying and consolidation, and construction.

Public disclosure documentation

Hermosa

Hermosa

Located in the Patagonia Mountains, about 80 kilometres south-east of Tucson, Arizona, Hermosa comprises the zinc-lead-silver Taylor sulphide deposit (Taylor Deposit), and the zinc-manganese-silver Clark oxide deposit (Clark Deposit).

 

Learn more about Hermosa

Details of Tailings Facilities

The Hermosa Tailings Facility is a lined dry stack tailings facility with an underdrain collection pond. Drainage water collected in the pond is then treated before being reused or discharged.

Public disclosure documentation

Hotazel Manganese Mines (South Africa Manganese)

Our South African manganese mines are found in the manganese rich Kalahari Basin, in the country’s northern cape, which is home to 80 per cent of the world's manganese ore body. It consists of two mines - Wessels and Mamatwan.

Learn more about our Hotazel Manganese Mines operation

Wessels

Wessels

The Wessels mine has vertical and incline shafts and uses the mechanized bord and pillar mining method.

Details of Tailings Facilities

Wessels Tailings Storage Facility is an active mine residue deposit located to the north-east of the processing plant.

Public disclosure documentation

Mamatwan

Mamatwan

The open-cut Mamatwan mine started operating more than half a century ago and uses the terrace mining method.

Details of Tailings Facilities

Adam’s Pit is an active mine residue deposit located to the north-west of the processing plant.  Tailings are deposited below ground level into Adam’s Pit.

Public disclosure documentation

Cerro Matoso

Cerro Matoso

Our Cerro Matoso open-cut mine in northern Colombia is a significant producer of ferronickel. Cerro Matoso has been in operation for over 40 years.

Learn more about Cerro Matoso

Details of Tailings Facilities

The Sajana TSF is an inactive TSF located to the south of the processing plant.

Public disclosure documentation
Public requests for information

We are committed to responding in a systematic and timely manner to requests from interested and affected stakeholders for additional information material to public safety and the integrity of our TSFs.

Key contact information and our enquiry form can be found here. Contact information for our operations can be found on their relevant pages and on our locations map.

We also encourage people to Speak up when our values and standards are not being followed through our Speak Up Policy and EthicsPoint Reporting Hotline which can be found here.