Tailings Center launches website and continues short course program

July 13, 2022
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tailings dam in Canada

The Tailings Center, a collaboration between the University of Arizona, Colorado School of Mines, and Colorado State University, dedicated to providing mining industry members with professional development opportunities and researching mine tailings, has launched its own website. The Tailings Center focuses on safety and minimizing environmental impact of mine tailings and was created in 2020.

Labor shortage led to Tailings Center creation

In the aftermath of Tailings Storage Facility (TSF) failures around the world, and pressure on the mining industry, the demand for tailings engineers has increased drastically. There is a massive labor shortage at the moment, and the salaries for tailings engineers have gone up dramatically. In response to this labor shortage, the Tailings Center was created to help people in the industry obtain professional development and applicable skills to manage TSFs which are necessary in every mine but unique to each geographic location. The Tailings Center services people across the globe with its set of courses. “The first goal is education, the second is research,” says Gail Heath, Associate Professor of Practice for Mining and Geological Engineering, one of the site directors for the University of Arizona.

The Tailings Center wants to expand to start doing research on tailings across the globe in order to promote safety of tailings facilities and help minimize the environmental impact.

Short courses are the centerpiece

The Tailings Center offers six to seven short courses that each run approximately two weeks long. Upon completion of the program, those who take the courses can receive a professional certificate noting their expertise in tailings. The courses are open to anyone since there are no prerequisites, but most participants are industry professionals. Students can enroll, although they will not receive credits due to the collaborative nature of the program between the three institutions. This is an incredible opportunity for specialization in the mining industry. “There’s no universities out there that offer a degree in tailings,” says Heath.

The courses cover the life cycle of tailings from planning to closure. While tailings are different depending on the type of mine and climate, the courses teach industry professionals to ask important questions about the facility they work with. The courses are taught by faculty of the institutions and industry professionals, having been created by consultants from the field who understand what’s important to understand about tailings.

Visit the Tailings Center website to learn more and sign up for the program.