Bulletin –Tailings Management –Directive 085 – Directive 074
The AER announced the release of Directive 085: Fluid Tailings Management for Oil Sands Mining Projects (“Directive 085”). Directive 085 sets out the requirements for managing fluid tailings for oil sands mining projects.
Directive 085 replaces Directive 074: Tailings Performance Criteria and Requirements for Oil Sand Mining Schemes.
In the bulletin, the AER summarized some of the important requirements under Directive 085, including requirements:
• that existing operators submit fluid tailing management applications to the AER by November 1, 2016;
• that operators minimize fluid tailings accumulation by ensuring that fluid tailings are treated and reclaimed progressively throughout the life of a project;
• that new fluid tailings be ready to reclaim by ten years after the end of mine life, while legacy tailings must be ready to reclaim by the end of mine life; and
• that operators report annually on the performance of their fluid tailings management plans.
The bulletin also states that the AER will prepare an annual performance report on fluid tailings management.
Directive 085 can be viewed in its entirety on the AER website at www.aer.ca.
