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Characterizing tailings professional labor demand

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dc.contributor.authorSpencer, Louise, author
dc.contributor.authorScalia, Joseph, IV, advisor
dc.contributor.authorBareither, Christopher, advisor
dc.contributor.authorSanford, William, committee member
dc.date.accessioned2021-09-06T10:24:52Z
dc.date.available2022-09-03T10:24:52Z
dc.date.issued2021
dc.description.abstractA low-carbon future necessitates increased extraction of critical minerals via mining. The act of mining includes not only extraction of commodities, but also management of tremendous volumes of waste. Despite the need for mining to support green technologies, mining is experiencing a credibility crisis due to historic legacies of environmental damage and recent catastrophic failures of tailings (mine waste) facilities. To regain social trust and environmental credibility, the mining industry must do better at managing tailings. The recently issued Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM) places significant demand on tailings professionals worldwide. Given these pressures, this study addresses the question: is the current tailings professional labor pool sufficient to provide the specialized labor needed to meet new guidance designed to make tailings facilities safer, and if not, how can this shortage be rectified? To address this question, a coupled qualitative-quantitative approach was undertaken. Research was conducted to characterize the current (Spring 2021) industry practitioner perspectives on the state of tailings labor resources. Then, future tailings labor demand under the GISTM was calculated quantitatively by estimating professional labor demand based on guidelines presented in the GSITM and applied to the estimated number of tailings facilities worldwide. Finally, opportunities to address current and future tailings labor demand were identified through tailing practitioner perspectives. According to current practitioners, there is shortage of qualified tailings professionals, related to increased labor needs, difficulties of recruitment into and retention within the industry, as well as senior-level professionals retiring. Managing the minimum estimated 16,000 tailings facilities worldwide was estimated to require as many as 17,800 full-time equivalent, qualified and trained personnel. Finally, current actions to train future tailings professionals are provided, as well as recommendations for actions via collaboration between academia, industry, consultants, regulators, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to fortify tailings recruitment activities, training programs, and educational opportunities.
dc.format.mediumborn digital
dc.format.mediummasters theses
dc.identifierSpencer_colostate_0053N_16700.pdf
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10217/233728
dc.languageEnglish
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisherColorado State University. Libraries
dc.relation.ispartof2020-
dc.rightsCopyright and other restrictions may apply. User is responsible for compliance with all applicable laws. For information about copyright law, please see https://libguides.colostate.edu/copyright.
dc.subjectmine dams
dc.subjecttailing
dc.subjectlabor resource
dc.subjecttailings
dc.subjectmining
dc.titleCharacterizing tailings professional labor demand
dc.typeText
dcterms.embargo.expires2022-09-03
dcterms.embargo.terms2022-09-03
dcterms.rights.dplaThis Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights (https://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/). You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).
thesis.degree.disciplineCivil and Environmental Engineering
thesis.degree.grantorColorado State University
thesis.degree.levelMasters
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Science (M.S.)

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