Tailings Management & Dam Safety

Tailings storage facilities (TSFs) are engineered structures that retain the fine-grained residue left after ore processing. They are among the largest engineered structures on Earth. TSF failures — including Brumadinho (2019, 272 deaths), Mariana/Samarco (2015, 19 deaths) and Mount Polley (2014, no deaths) — have led to the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM) and a convergence of investor, regulator and industry requirements. This directory lists the primary-source bodies that set, monitor and enforce TSF standards.

Primary sources only 10 providers Updated 2026-06-19

Neutrality. TrueSource Metals Hub does not rank or compare TSF standards, certifiers or databases. Each entry cites the organisation's own documentation and remit. See the full Ecosystem neutrality statement.

Standards, databases and investor initiatives

Alphabetical. Each entry cites the organisation's own site only.

Global Tailings Review (GTR) / UNEP Portal

Role: Intergovernmental / industry standard — Geneva / London
Role: Provides the GISTM, the international benchmark standard for design, operation, monitoring and closure of tailings storage facilities.
Coverage: Applicable to all tailings facilities globally; senior extractive companies with ICMM membership or PRI signatory status are committed to implementation.

Primary source: globaltailingsreview.org

ICMM — Tailings Management (GISTM)

Role: Mining industry association — London
Role: Industry body whose 28 member companies include BHP, Rio Tinto, Anglo American, Glencore, Newmont, Barrick and Freeport. All are committed to GISTM conformance.
Key document: GISTM (August 2020) — 77 requirements across 6 topics: knowledge base, governance, design & construction, operations, emergency preparedness, public disclosure.

Primary source: icmm.com — Tailings Management

IRMA — Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance

Role: Multi-stakeholder mine certification — Washington, DC
Role: Third-party mine certification including tailings storage facility design, operation, and emergency preparedness requirements.
Jurisdiction: International; audits conducted by accredited third-party certification bodies.

Primary source: responsiblemining.net

GRID-Arendal — Tailings Storage Facilities Database

Role: UNEP-linked research institution — Arendal, Norway
Role: Research and data publication — provides the most comprehensive public inventory of TSFs by country, company, and risk status.
Data source: Satellite imagery, national regulatory filings, academic literature and company disclosures. Updated periodically.

Primary source: grida.no — TSF Database

ICOLD — Committee on Tailings Dams and Waste Lagoons

Role: International dam safety body — Paris
Role: Publishes technical bulletins on TSF construction methods (upstream, downstream, centreline, dry stack, filtered), dam break analysis, and decommissioning.
Key documents: Bulletin 74 (1996), Bulletin 121 (2001), Bulletin 153 (2011), Bulletin 195 (2020) — Tailings Dams: Design of Drainage.

Primary source: icold-cigb.org

World Mine Tailings Failures (WMTF) Database

Role: Academic failure record database
Role: Provides the authoritative public record of TSF failure events used by researchers, regulators, insurers and ESG analysts.
Coverage: 400+ entries; includes Brumadinho (2019), Mariana (2015), Mount Polley (2014), Jagersfontein (2022), Cadia (2018).

Primary source: worldminetailingsfailures.org

MAC — Mining Association of Canada, Towards Sustainable Mining Tailings Protocol

Role: Canadian mining industry association — Ottawa
Role: Canadian national industry self-assessment and independent verification protocol for tailings management; feeds into TSM global adoption programme.
Coverage: All MAC member mines in Canada are subject to annual reporting. TSM has been adopted by national associations in Finland, Argentina, Brazil, Botswana, Philippines and Spain.

Primary source: mining.ca — TSM Tailings Protocol

PRI — Principles for Responsible Investment, Mining and Tailings Safety Initiative

Role: UN-backed investor body — London
Role: Investor coordination — promotes GISTM adoption by mining companies through direct engagement, voting guidance and disclosure expectations.
Coverage: Global; any listed mining company with TSFs is in scope. PRI signatory asset managers are expected to engage portfolio companies on GISTM conformance.

Primary source: unpri.org

Church of England Pensions Board — Investor Mining and Tailings Safety Initiative

Role: Institutional investor body — London
Role: Lead investor in the IMTSI; spearheaded the first global TSF disclosure survey sent to 728 mining companies in 2019.
Coverage: Coordinated with UNPRI; over 100 institutional investors as signatories demanding GISTM-aligned disclosure.

Primary source: churchofengland.org — Responsible Investment

ANCOLD — Australian National Committee on Large Dams

Role: Australian national dam committee — national (secretariat varies)
Role: Australian dam safety guidelines used by regulators, engineers and insurers for tailings facility design and risk classification.
Key document: ANCOLD Guidelines on Tailings Dams (2012) — covers design, construction, operation, surveillance, emergency planning and decommissioning.

Primary source: ancold.org.au

Tailings Management & Dam Safety

Standards, databases and investor initiatives

Related TSM Hub pages

Primary sources