First as a tragedy, second as a norm: global standards and Brazilian policies on the safety of mine tailings

Abstract

This article seeks to analyze the regulatory framework that supervises the safety of tailings dams on an international, national and state scale, with emphasis on the management of mining dams built in Minas Gerais using the upstream technique – considered the most critical for the risk of collapse. To do this, we carried out a deductive analysis based on a literature review, combined with an inductive analysis from secondary sources (news items, reports and standards). We argue that the standards which have gained the most support from the industry, by not expressly prohibiting the existence of upstream dams, present contradictions that reproduce rather than remedy the vulnerability of territories exposed to the social and environmental risks produced by mining in Brazil, and worldwide. Based on the analyses proposed herein, we aim to understand how the problem of tailings management has been addressed by institutions on both a national and international level, thus identifying the effectiveness of standards and policies related to the problem of upstream dams.