One year on from the Brumadinho dam collapse, Bruno Oberle, Chair of the Global Tailings Review, made the following statement:
“On the anniversary of the devastating tragedy at Brumadinho, we remember those who lost their lives and those whose lives will forever more be impacted by loss suffered on that day.
“Since July 2019, I have led the Global Tailings Review (GTR) which was co-convened by the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM), Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in response to this tragedy. Our mission is to establish an international standard for the safer management of tailings facilities with the ultimate goal of preventing another such event.
“A draft Standard, which was the culmination of an initial research phase, was shared globally for public consultation in November 2019. With the consultation conducted online in seven languages, and through in-person consultation in Kazakhstan, China, Chile, Ghana, South Africa and Australia, many constructive and helpful insights were received from a wide variety of stakeholders. We are currently in the process of analysing the comprehensive feedback received and balancing diverse stakeholder views to strengthen the Standard.
“The first anniversary is a strong reminder of the importance of our work and we remain highly motivated to create a product that will deliver a step change in the safe management of tailings facilities across the industry.”