Bentel, GM 2010, 'The real value to the mining industry of leading-practice waste management', in R Jewell & AB Fourie (eds), Mine Waste 2010: Proceedings of the First International Seminar on the Reduction of Risk in the Management of Tailings and Mine Waste, Australian Centre for Geomechanics, Perth, pp. 15-19, https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_rep/1008_02_Bentel
(https://papers.acg.uwa.edu.au/p/1008_02_Bentel/)
Abstract: Mining wastes � waste rock, process tailings, and other mining by-products � have little beneficial use or 
value. If not managed well, some wastes can leave an enduring threat of serious health and/or environmental 
harm, and hence good waste management practice can significantly increase both capital and operating costs. 
Some mining waste can cause serious health and environment issues, and therefore responsible waste 
management is a key attribute of sustainable mining. When poor or irresponsible waste management is 
discovered and publicised through the media, the responsible company can suffer serious detrimental 
consequences through public outrage and loss of stakeholder and shareholder confidence and support. 
While not exactly a waste management issue, the public (including President Obama) and shareholder 
reaction (Figure 1) to the BP Deepwater Horizon incident that resulted in the loss of 11 lives, 17 injured, and 
that continues to wreak untold environmental damage, illustrates society�s perception of the social and 
financial implications of a catastrophic environmental incident.