"If our industry has a tailings dam failure, we all have a tailings dam failure,” stated Dean Gehring, executive vice president and chief technology officer at Newmont Corp. He was reiterating the powerful words of Kim Morrison, co-moderator (director, tailings and water management, Newmont) of this year’s MineXchange 2020 SME Annual Conference & Expo opening keynote session. It’s a simple reflection of a complex problem. With ongoing and keen attention being paid to the mining industry’s struggle to prevent catastrophic tailings dam failures, the conference launched a multi-pronged approach to addressing the issue and finding solutions. SME has made this a top priority, and the breadth and depth of programming made available to attendees shine a light on both the need for this broad initiative and a hopeful way forward.
