Insights into a Successful Review Board

Dr. Gord McKenna, Geotechnical Engineer and Landform Designer, McKenna Geotechnical Inc., presents his talk "Insights into a Successful Review Board".

Abstract: A successful geotechnical or tailings review board is one that meets and reports on a regular schedule to provide independent, high-quality, non-binding operational and strategic advice to a mine owner that is focused on the design, construction, operation, and closure of one or more pits or mine waste facilities (e.g., tailings facilities, heap leaches, and rockpiles). A successful board’s work meets the declared charter in a way that fosters trust and close collaboration between the board, the mine owner, the mine operator / mine management, and in-house and external professionals. It may also be designed to meet the needs of the regulator and local communities. The Board’s recommendations and other advice are used to help the mine operator meet the state of practice following international standards such that risks (particularly risks of catastrophic failure) of the mining structures are well managed and that geotechnical, hydrogeological and surface-water aspects of design, construction, operation, reclamation, and maintenance and surveillance are performed diligently and efficiently. In the wake of recent catastrophic tailings dam failures, a significant increase in the number of review boards is occurring. These boards will advance the model of successful review boards that has evolved over the past century. This seminar provides the results of recent interviews with review board members and their clients and contains a literature review and an analysis of the components of a successful review board. It provides recommendations for building and operating review boards and looks ahead to measures needed to sustain this model.

Speaker Bio: Dr. Gord McKenna is a geotechnical engineer and geologist specializing in tailings and mine waste management, dam safety and landform design. He brings 35 years of experience including 17 at the Syncrude oil sands mine, then as a consulting engineer for mines, regulators and local communities in Canada and internationally. His time is divided between review board work, landform design with client teams and chairing the Landform Design Institute.

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