Chapman, PJ & Williams, DA 2010, 'The importance of selecting appropriate compliance and completion criteria during the initial stages of tailings storage facility design', 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. 297-308, https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_rep/1008_26_Chapman
(https://papers.acg.uwa.edu.au/p/1008_26_Chapman/)
Abstract: The potential for environmental impacts and long-term legacies of mining is well documented. However, 
there appears to be resistance by many industry figures, including mining companies, consultants and 
regulators, to develop appropriate compliance and completion criteria during the design stage, with the 
objective of reaching an appropriately and optimally designed facility that is economically, environmental 
and technically feasible. This paper presents an approach to developing compliance and completion criteria 
that will facilitate the identification of appropriate design objectives. The objectives can be based on an 
agreed final landform, mining company standards and long-term legacy to the community. Examples are 
presented in which air, water and ground issues are explored, including seepage into fresh groundwater and 
hypersaline groundwater, erosion and water management, as well as dust. As part of each worked example, 
potential outcomes are presented based on a range of different compliance criteria. This paper also presents 
a tool that can be used to identify the preferred tailings management solution, based on the identified and 
agreed compliance and completion criteria.