CDA responds to Mt. Polley Expert Panel report
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The Canadian Dam Association (CDA) welcomes the report of the independent expert engineering investigation and review panel into the failure of the tailings storage facility at the Mount Polley Mine in British Columbia on Aug. 4, 2014, and supports the BC government’s response.
"The Panel provides some much-needed insight on the cause of the incident at the Mount Polley mine," CDA President Gilles Bourgeois says. "The determination that the dam’s design did not properly take into account the characteristics of some of the soil underlying a side embankment is valuable information for the dam industry."
CDA’s submission to the Panel made five recommendations for the BC government, suggesting it seek out new ways to support the development of guidance documents and professional development for the dam safety industry, especially as it relates to mining dams. Two of the Panel’s seven recommendations specifically refer to improvement in best practices and dam safety guidelines.
More information:
CDA’s initial response to Expert Panel report, Jan. 31, 2015.
CDA’s submission to the Expert Panel, Dec. 7, 2014
Link to the full report of the Expert Panel, Jan. 30, 2015
