Raising Knowledge among Students and Teachers on Tailings Safety
and its Legislative Review in Ukraine

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Previous project on TMF safety
"Improving the safety of industrial tailings management facilities
based on the example of Ukrainian facilities"

Addressing the environmental problems related to TMFs, German Environment Agency has initiated a project �Improving the safety of industrial tailings management facilities based on the example of Ukrainian facilities� in 2013. The project aimed to develop a Checklist for improving safety of Tailings Management Facilities (TMFs) as a toolkit for competent authorities and inspecting bodies in ECE countries responsible for the safety of facilities storing hazardous mining waste.

The TMF Methodology is mainly based on the document �Safety guidelines and good practices for tailings management facilities� endorsed by the Conference of the Parties to the UNECE Convention on the Transboundary Effects of Industrial Accidents at its fifth meeting (Geneva, 25�27 November 2008). This document was updated by the request of the seventh meeting (Stockholm, 14�16 November 2012) of the Conference of the Parties to the Industrial Accidents Convention.

The TMF Methodology was developed by the Ukrainian project team that included Mr.�Grygorii Shmatkov (scientific team leader), Mr. Dmytro Rudakov (technical expert), Mr. Yuriy Shestak (technical expert), Mrs. Iryna Nikolaieva (technical project manager), and Mrs. Kateryna Okhotnyk (assistant of technical project manager). The prime contractor of the project was International HCH & Pesticide Association (IHPA, Denmark) headed by the director Mr. John Vijgen.

The work of the Ukrainian team was technically and scientifically managed by Mr. Gerhard Winkelmann-Oei (German Environment Agency). To support the work of the Ukrainian team an international steering group was established, consisting of the following members: Mr. Wolfhart Pohl (USA), Mr. Philip Peck (Sweden), Mr. Nikolay Savov (Switzerland), Mr. Pavel Danihelka (Czech Republic), Mr. Peter Kovacs (Hungary), Mr. Zoltan Torok (Romania), Mr.�Nicolae Ajtai (Romania), Mr.�Timo Regina (Finland), Mr. Hovannes Nikoghosyan (Armenia), Mr.�Konstatine Burjanadze (Georgia), Mrs. Irma Gurguliani (Georgia), Mr. Adam Kovacs (Austria), Mr.�Oliver Kalush (Germany), Mr. Christoph Külls (Germany). The members of the steering group actively contributed to the drafting of the TMF Methodology. Also Ukrainian experts from environmental and mining-related institutions and companies have been engaged in the work within this project and suggested ideas to improve the TMF Methodology.

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PROJECT OUTCOME

1. Methodology for the improvement of TMF safety (TMF Methodology)

2. TMF Checklist with questionnaire, evaluation matrix, and measure catalogue.

3. Analysis of Ukrainian legislation & administrative situation on TMF.

Additionally, the project team has developed the database of 153 TMFs in Ukraine and, based on the method for evaluation of Tailings Hazard Index, identified the 15 most potentially hazardous TMF sites in the country.

The TMF Methodology includes explanations for theoretical basis and practical application of the TMF Checklist; it provides the templates for generating the report on TMF safety evaluation. This document can be used as the practical tool to implement UNECE TMF Safety Guidelines and contribute to improving the safety of hazardous industrial sites subject to Directives 2006/21/EC and 2012/18/EC.