Dams Management

Sustainability: priority in our way of operating

Sustainability has been a strategic topic since the establishment of Nexa and has always guided our business in all aspects. This means special attention to the management of waste and tailings resulting from the activities and their constant improvement to increasingly mitigate and reduce our socio-environmental impacts.

We invest in the development of new technologies aimed at the reuse of tailings and waste and we have three different ways of disposing them: return to the mine (backfill), dry stacking and, finally, we dispose of the materials in dams.

Currently, only 15% of the tailings and waste generated by us in Brazil and Peru are disposed of in dams.

In line with the transparency principles and aiming to maintain effective communication with our stakeholders,, we have a specific page on Dams and Deposits.

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Dam Management

We are an engaged and transparent company in the management and safety of our dams, with strict tailings disposal practices and a permanent review of the dam management policy.

We follow international standards to control and monitor said locations, such as the guidelines of the International Commission on Large Dams, going beyond the requirements of Brazilian legislation. An important fact to be mentioned is that we have implemented 7 Golden Rules for the Management of Dams and Tailings Deposits, which are mandatory in our operations.

We currently have 47 tailings storage structures, 23 in Brazil and 24 in Peru.

You can find all the information about dam management on this link.

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Dam Management Integrated System (SIGBar)

Composed of rules and measures of regular monitoring actions, from which we control all structures, SIGBar establishes guidelines for the management of documents, monitoring, evaluation, risk analysis, compliance with standards and legislation, training personnel, operation of structures and other arrangements.

Dam Management

Our dam management routine takes place on an ongoing basis by an independent firm, which receives data from inspections performed every fifteen days and consolidates data from all monitoring activity to issue monthly stability reports.

Daily

Comply with operational procedures
Conduct operational inspections
Perform monitoring

Monthly

Sending data to ‘Geoconsultoria’ for stability assessment
Perform monitoring
Issue the SIGBAR indicator
Consolidation of monthly reports and issuance of indicators.

Every 15 Days

Conduct on-site inspections of safety conditions
Perform monitoring
Sending data to ‘Geoconsultoria’ for evaluation.

Our Geotechnical Assessments, Reports and Action Plans related to dams

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Communication channel

The Ethics Line, an impartial and transparent communication channel, guarantees the confidentiality of information and preserves the identity of involved persons. Through this, it is possible to clarify doubts, forward non-compliances complaints of dam golden rules, and monitor submitted complaints.

The submission of a complaint (anonymous or not) can be made through the website or the numbers below.

Compliance Line

Brazil

0800 892 0741

Canada

1 855 888 9926 / 1 885 350 9393

Luxembourg

800 201 11

Peru

0800 50 0000 / 0800 50 288

United States

1 855 8889926

Austria

0800 200 288

Our aspiration

Our aspiration is to be recognized in the communities where we operate as an engaged and transparent company in dam safety and management, following international standards and being active in the regions where we operate.

Check our indicators

Total amounts of overburden, rock, tailings and sludges and their associated risks

Correlated indicators

GRI Dimension:

Environmental

GRI Code:

MM3

Sector SASB:

Mining and Metals

SASB Dimension:

Waste and Hazardous Materials Management

SASB Code:

EM-MM-150 a.1

SASB Code:

EM-MM-150 a.2

Volume of Waste (thousand tons) and Recycled Percentage
Hazardous		2019	2020	2021
	Miner-metallurgical waste (sterile)	8.749,86	6.744,80	9.497,91
	Mineral-metallurgical waste that has been recycled, reused or remanufactured (sterile)	N/A	N/A	1.485,70 (16%)
	Mini-metallurgical waste (tailings)	10.172,39	9.126,08	9.928,30
	Mini-metallurgical waste that has been recycled, reused or remanufactured (tailings)	N/A	N/A	5.048,40 (51%)
	Industrial waste	5,24	5,9	7,58
Non-hazardous	Miner-metallurgical waste (sterile)	1.010,03	2.207,74	1.181,16
	Mineral-metallurgical waste that has been recycled, reused or remanufactured (sterile)	N/A	N/A	801,36 (68%)
	Mini-metallurgical waste (tailings)	1.043,04	1.245,45	1.265,73
	Mini-metallurgical waste that has been recycled, reused or remanufactured (tailings)	N/A	N/A	156,58 (12%)
	Industrial waste	104,65	133,52	26,34

N/A: Data not reported for the period

Our contribution to the SDGs

SDGs related to the topic:

In 2017, we signed a commitment to the global agenda consisting of 17 goals and 169 targets to be achieved by 2030.

Dams Management

Sustainability: priority in our way of operating

Dam Management

Dam Management Integrated System (SIGBar)

Dam Management

Communication channel

Compliance Line

Our aspiration

Check our indicators

Correlated indicators

Our contribution to the SDGs

SDGs related to the topic

Read more

Strategy

Biodiversity and Land Use

Use and Disposal of Water

Climate Change

Circular Economy and Waste

Decommissioning