Current mining industry standards do not go far enough to adequately protect communities and ecosystems from the consequences of tailings failures , according to a new Earthworks report . Here is a timeline of recent major incidents .

Imperial Metals ’ Mount Polley gold-copper mine

On August 4 , 2014 , the tailings dam of Imperial Metals Corp ’ s Mount Polley copper and gold mine near Likely , British Columbia , Canada , failed , releasing 7.3mn cu / m of tailings , 10.6mn cu / m of water , and 6.5mn cu / m of interstitial water into the environment .

Samarco iron mine in Mariana , Brazil

On 5 November 2015 , a huge tailings dam operated by Brazilian mining company Samarco collapsed , causing a tidal wave of 32m-40m cu / m of mining waste to wash across valleys , villages and farmland , covering houses in the town of Bento Rodrigues .

Córrego do Feijão mine

A dam at the Córrego do Feijão mine – owned by Vale in Brumadinho , Brazil – collapsed , releasing about 9.7mn cu / m of tailings . The mine waste travelled 8km over land , killed over 272 people , destroyed houses and buildings , and eventually flowed into the Paraopeba River .

14 July 2022