7 June 2019 |
Anglo American details tailings storage facilities |
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Anglo American plc ("Anglo American") has today published on its website the details of its 91 managed tailings storage facilities (TSFs) and an additional 62 TSFs at non-managed joint venture operations in which it has an interest, as requested by the Church of England Pensions Board and the Swedish Council on Ethics for the AP Funds, representing 96 institutional investors.
Mark Cutifani, Chief Executive of Anglo American, said: "We have confidence in the integrity of Anglo American's managed TSFs which are subject to the highest global safety and stewardship standards, using appropriate advanced technologies such as satellite monitoring, fibre optics and micro-seismic sensors. As an industry, we have a clear ethical and moral imperative to do everything possible to ensure that tailings storage facilities are managed to the highest standards of safety as we work together, as an industry, to build greater levels of trust with all our stakeholders.
"Looking to the future, we are working on a number of technologies that we expect to significantly reduce the volume of waste material we produce through our activities, and our ability to remove water from that material and store it in drier form - improving its stability and further reducing associated risks. A number of these technologies also offer major energy and fresh water usage reductions for every ounce or tonne of metal or mineral we produce."
Anglo American completely revised and updated its technical standard for TSF safety management in early 2014. The standard is updated as appropriate and goes beyond regulatory and other industry requirements in all host jurisdictions. This mandatory global standard mitigates the long-recognised principal risk that TSFs pose, sets minimum requirements for design criteria, monitoring, inspection and surveillance, and was peer-reviewed by international specialists.
Anglo American has also received assurances from the operators of non-managed joint ventures in which Anglo American has an interest relating to the safety of TSFs at those operations.
Of the 91 TSFs managed by Anglo American, 40 are in active use, 33 are inactive or in care and maintenance, and 18 are closed or rehabilitated. In terms of the method of tailings storage, 39 use wet deposition while 52 use either dry-stacked or in-pit deposition.
In addition to the requested defined information, Anglo American has also published its full Group Technical Standard in respect of Mineral Residue Facilities and Water Management Structures, available at www.angloamerican.com/tsf.
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Notes to editors:
Anglo American is a leading global mining company and our products are the essential ingredients in almost every aspect of modern life. Our portfolio of world-class competitive mining operations and undeveloped resources provides the metals and minerals that enable a cleaner, more electrified world and that meet the fast growing consumer-driven demands of the world's developed and maturing economies. With our people at the heart of our business, we use innovative practices and the latest technologies to discover new resources and mine, process, move and market our products to our customers around the world - safely, responsibly and sustainably.
As a responsible miner - of diamonds (through De Beers), copper, platinum group metals, iron ore, coal and nickel - we are the custodians of what are precious natural resources. We work together with our business partners and diverse stakeholders to unlock the sustainable value that those resources represent for our shareholders, the communities and countries in which we operate, and for society as a whole. Anglo American is re-imagining mining to improve people's lives.
www.angloamerican.com
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