Abstract

This article seeks to analyze the regulatory framework that regulates 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 design - considered the most critical for the risk of collapse. We argue that the standards which have gained the most support from the industry, by not expressly prohibiting the existence of upstream dams, show contradictions that reproduce rather than remedy the vulnerability of territories exposed to the social and environmental risks produced by mining in Brazil and in the world. Based on the analyses proposed here, we aim at understanding how the problem of tailings management has been addressed by institutions at the national and international level, thus identifying the effectiveness of standards and policies related to the problem of upstream dams.

Keywords:
Mining; Safety Standards; Tailings dams; GISTM; Safety First