It is an initiative that seeks to contribute to the safe and reliable operation of tailings deposits by developing tools to improve the monitoring of their physical stability and potential impact on the surrounding waters.
Chile’s economic and social development is directly related to mining, as it is one of the country’s main productive activities. In this context, it is important to consider the fact that this activity carries an inherent legacy: the generation of mining waste or residues, among which are tailings deposits.
According to the latest cadastre published by the National Geology and Mining Service (SERNAGEOMIN), there are a total of 740 deposits in Chile. This figure places the country third in the world for the number of tailings deposits, after China and the United States.
Operating tailings deposits are dynamic facilities, as they grow in area, volume, and/or height over time; in addition, they are continuously exposed to various operational and/or natural situations that may compromise their stability.
At the international level, records of incidents with catastrophic outcomes that have occurred in recent years in countries such as Canada, the United States, Brazil, China, Mexico, and Chile have triggered a thorough review of tailings deposits and their management, both at the governmental and business levels. This review seeks to ensure the stability of these structures through, for example, changes in designs, regulations, and companies’ internal governance.
The Tranque program seeks to contribute to the safe and reliable operation of tailings deposits by developing tools to improve the monitoring of physical stability and the potential impact on the waters surrounding them.
This is done through a monitoring and early warning system that captures, processes, integrates, and communicates information from tailings deposits connected through Local Monitoring Systems (LMS) to the Central Monitoring System operated by SERNAGEOMIN, from where information is communicated to the communities surrounding these facilities.
The monitoring and early warning system lays the foundations for the creation of the National Tailings Observatory, which will enable the proactive management of these important mining facilities.
The Tranque program has contributed to the development of public policies, such as: the National Mining Policy 2050, the directive that made the monitoring of surrounding waters mandatory, and the National Tailings Deposit Plan, which created the National Tailings Observatory.
In April 2024, Programa Tranque completed the development of the monitoring and early warning system, whose current scope is the monitoring and qualitative assessment of physical stability. The system is currently operational in SERNAGEOMIN’s Central Monitoring System (CMS) and connected to the Local Monitoring System (LMS) of the El Mauro tailings dam of Minera Los Pelambres – Antofagasta Minerals.
This initiative contributes to the following Sustainable Development Goals:
