Material Issues / Governance

Tailings Management

Sumitomo Metal Mining recognizes the importance of safe and sustainable management of tailings, and we implement thorough control on our related facilities. In Sumitomo Metal Mining’s “Vision for 2030”, we identify “Significant Environmental Accidents” and “Biodiversity” as our material issue, and we promote initiatives to achieve the goal to be “a company that values water resources and biodiversity, and protects the richness of the sea and land”.

Tailings: A by-product of mining, consisting of the processed rock or soil left over from the separation of the commodities of value from the rock or soil within which they occur.
Source: the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management

Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management

As of the 5 August 2020, all ICMM members are committed to implement the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM). All tailings facilities operated with “Extreme” or “Very high” potential consequences will be in conformance with the Standard by 5 August 2023. All other tailings facilities operated not in a state of safe closure will be in conformance with the Standard by 5 August 2025, and ICMM has provided a clear indication of this commitment at its website. More information is available here.

Sumitomo Metal Mining, as a member of ICMM, commits to GISTM and is currently working toward the implementation of the Standard.

Data Disclosure of Our Tailings Facilities

Detailed information of Sumitomo Metal Mining’s tailing facilities is here. We manage these tailings facilities such as tailing dams in our Mineral Resources, Smelting and Refining business, and where we have majority stake.