In response to the findings and recommendations of the chief inspector of mines’ (CIM’s) investigation into the tailings storage facility (TSF) at Mount Polley mine, in August 2014, Energy and Mines Minister Bill Bennett announced last month that the British Columbia government will introduce new regulations and requirements to improve safety standards for tailings storage facilities.
The CIM report found, as did the Independent Expert Panel in January 2015, that the dam failed because the strength and location of a layer of clay underneath the dam was not taken into account in the design or in subsequent dam raises.
