Historical Cases of Tailings Dam Failures in Peru: An Analysis of The Triggering Factors

Jose J. Quintana-Castro; Leonardo R. Salas-Cachay; Kenedy K. Espinoza-Ayala; George H. Escalante-Pillaca; Nahum O  Cubas-Parimango; Tomas E. Gallarday-Bocanegra; Ciro S. Bedia-Guillen; Moises B Guia-Pianto; Luis M. Soto Juscamayta

doi:10.61707/x7xfvp19

Authors

Jose J. Quintana-Castro National University of San Marcos city of Lima, Peru.
Leonardo R. Salas-Cachay National University of San Marcos city of Lima, Peru.
Kenedy K. Espinoza-Ayala National University of San Marcos city of Lima, Peru
George H. Escalante-Pillaca National University of San Marcos city of Lima, Peru
Nahum O Cubas-Parimango National University of San Marcos city of Lima, Peru.
Tomas E. Gallarday-Bocanegra National University of San Marcos city of Lima, Peru.
Ciro S. Bedia-Guillen National University of San Marcos city of Lima, Peru.
Moises B Guia-Pianto National University of San Marcos city of Lima, Peru
Luis M. Soto Juscamayta National University of San Marcos city of Lima, Peru.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.61707/x7xfvp19

Keywords:

Participatory Budget, Public Investment Projects, Citizen Participation, Municipal Management, Transparency, Efficiency, Correlation

Abstract

The research focused on determining the main causes of failures in Peruvian mining tailings dams, covering a historical analysis from 1952 to 2023. To this end, an exhaustive review of literature and documents provided by the Geological, Mining and Metallurgical Institute was carried out. (INGEMMET), as well as supervision reports from the General Directorate of Mining (DGM), the Environmental Assessment and Supervision Body (OEFA) and the Supervisory Body for Investment in Energy and Mining (OSINERGMIN), complemented with international data from the CSP2 and WISE Uranium Project bases; and using Google Earth Pro (GEP) to verify the location of the tailing’s deposits. The results identified 20 failures in tailings dams in Peru, with 65% of incidents related to seismic activity, where 35% of the cases were directly caused by earthquakes and 30% attributable to short-term induced failures; Likewise, deficiencies in design (25%), construction (20%), and operational or management (10%) were highlighted, while 5% of the failures were caused by problems in auxiliary structures and another 5% remained unidentified. . The main conclusion highlights the need to improve design and construction practices of these structures, especially considering seismic risks, to prevent future disasters in the mining industry. This research contributes significantly to knowledge, providing a basis to improve regulations and practices in the construction and maintenance of tailings dams in Peru.