Mine Waste Management: Case Studies from Ghana and Canada

This case study by the International Institute for Sustainable Development examines mine waste management legal frameworks in Ghana and British Columbia, Canada. It outlines international best practices for minimizing waste volume and ensuring long-term stability, while analyzing how both jurisdictions apply these principles to manage risks associated with tailings facilities and legacy mining sites.

• Effective mine waste management policy requires a comprehensive set of controls, including clear standards, technical requirements for tailings, corporate accountability, pre-approval reviews of waste plans, financial mechanisms for long-term risk, and dedicated resources for enforcement.
• The Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM) aims for 'zero harm,' meaning operators must have zero tolerance for harm to people and the environment. Legal frameworks should prioritize the long-term physical and chemical stability of tailings facilities throughout their entire life cycle, including post-closure.
• Ghana's mine waste management is governed by several laws, including the 1994 EPA Act and the 2012 Minerals and Mining (Health, Safety and Technical) Regulations. While Ghana has comprehensive environmental assessment requirements, it faces challenges regarding the transparency of monitoring, the need for a 'polluter-pays' principle in its Minerals and Mining Act, and the need for closure bonds to cover all outstanding reclamation work.
• Ghana is utilizing the Multilateral Mining Integrated Project (MMIP) to formalize artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM), which is a high-risk area for environmental damage. This project employs satellite imagery to monitor ASM; analysis showed an average land conversion of -2,600 ha/year in southwest Ghana from 2005 to 2019.
• British Columbia (BC), Canada, has developed a comprehensive legal framework that conforms to GISTM principles, largely shaped by the 2014 Mount Polley tailings dam failure. This incident [] incident led to the requirement of an Independent Tailings Review Board and an Engineer of Record for all facilities, and the mandate that physical stability be the primary design objective.
• Following the Mount Polley failure, BC identified1 identified organizational weaknesses such as a lack of clear responsibility and a failure to escalate issues. In response, the province separated compliance and enforcement from permitting divisions in the BC Mines Act in August 2020 and established the Mines Audit Unit in September 2020 to check regulatory effectiveness.

APA

Hill, J., & Gillman, M. (2021). Mine Waste Management: Case Studies from Ghana and Canada. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-12/igf-case-study-mine-waste-management-canada-ghana.pdf

Chicago

Hill, Jenifer, and Matthew Gillman. Mine Waste Management: Case Studies from Ghana and Canada. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2021. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-12/igf-case-study-mine-waste-management-canada-ghana.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Hill |first1=Jenifer |last2=Gillman |first2=Matthew |title=Mine Waste Management: Case Studies from Ghana and Canada |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=2021 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-12/igf-case-study-mine-waste-management-canada-ghana.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{hill2021mine, author = {Hill, Jenifer and Gillman, Matthew}, title = {{Mine Waste Management: Case Studies from Ghana and Canada}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2021}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-12/igf-case-study-mine-waste-management-canada-ghana.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }