As a result of recent high-profile failures of tailings storage facilities (TSFs), the mining industry has been undergoing a step change in how TSFs are designed, constructed, operated, closed and managed with the overall goal of eliminating failures. This industry effort to improve how tailings facilities are managed is exemplified by the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (https://globaltailingsreview.org/global-industry-standard), which was published in August 2020 as a joint effort by the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM), the United Nations Environment Programme and the Principles for Responsible Investment.
Several other groups are also working to improve the state of practice regarding technical and managerial processes, providing the guidelines and technical information necessary to reduce the overall risk of failure of these facilities. These groups include the International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD), the United States Society on Dams (USSD), the Association of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO) and the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), among others.