Mount Polley Mine Tailings Storage Facility Breach: August 4, 2014
On the night of August 3-4, 2014, the dam enclosing the tailings storage facility (TSF) at Mount Polley Mine, a copper and gold mine in interior British Columbia, failed. Over the next 16 hours, the failure led to a progressive breach of the Perimeter Embankment of the dam, releasing over 21 million cubic metres of water and mine tailings into the surrounding environment and watercourses.
Mining and Mineral Resources Division. 2015. Mount Polley Mine Tailings Storage Facility Breach: August 4, 2014. Investigation Report of the Chief Inspector of Mines. Victoria, Canada: Mining and Mineral Resources Division, Ministry of Energy and Mines, British Columbia. November 30.
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