Session 3A
Mine Waste and Tailings
Tuesday, July 29, 2025 |
1:40 PM - 3:20 PM |
Speaker
Kathy Tehrani
Senior Tailings Engineer
ATC Williams
Session Chair
Biography
Mr John Stacpoole
Inspector Of Mines
NSW Resource Regulator
Mr Anton Kirsten
Senior Geotechnical Engineer, Associate
KCB Australia Pty Ltd
Towards Development of Geotechnical Engineers as Tailings Dam Engineers of Record
1:50 PM - 2:00 PMBiography
Anton is a senior geotechnical engineer specialising in dams, mine tailings storage facilities (TSFs), mine rock mechanics, and foundation engineering.
He has direct and related experience in the design, construction, and operational oversight of TSFs and associated water management infrastructure including water holding dams, as lead engineer/ engineer of record (EOR).
His broader experience includes soil investigations, analysis and design of surface excavations and lateral support, support design for underground mine excavations, analysis of waste dump slope stability and rehabilitation, shaft collar design, heavy foundation design, ground improvement design, penstock design, pipeline design and risk analyses.
He occasionally participates in the preparation of expert opinion in geotechnical related disputes and has broad knowledge of contracts, and general civil engineering construction and building.
Mr Alejo Sfriso
Corporate Consultant
SRK Consulting (Argentina)
Standardizing Vulnerability Assessments of Tailings Dams: Advancing Beyond Trigger Analyses
2:00 PM - 2:10 PMBiography
Dr. Alejo O. Sfriso is expert in the design, analysis, and risk evaluation of geotechnical projects, specializing in advanced numerical methodologies. With over 30 years of experience, he has contributed to projects in more than 25 countries. He serves as a Professor at the University of Buenos Aires (UBA) and has delivered over 100 courses and lectures worldwide, and more than 100 publications to his name. He served as Vice President for South America of the International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE) from 2017 to 2022 and was President of the Argentinean Society for Geotechnical Engineering (SAIG) from 2011 to 2015.
Dr Jarrad Coffey
Senior Principal
Red Earth Engineering a Geosyntec Company
How should critical controls be applied to tailings risk management, if at all?
2:10 PM - 2:20 PMBiography
Jarrad was involved with tailings management at Rio Tinto for the past 14 years, with responsibilities spanning technical support and leadership of long-term planning, projects and operations. Some key achievements from his time at Rio Tito was the development of a tailings management program and team and leading the implementation of multiple standards across a large portfolio of TSFs. Jarrad has recently joined Red Earth Engineering, focusing on tailings risk and auditing services.
Kathy Tehrani
Senior Tailings Engineer
ATC Williams
Q&A with Session Chair
2:20 PM - 2:35 PMBiography
Mr Leis Day
Principal Engineer
Red Earth Engineering – A Geosyntec Company
GRP Pipeline Design for the Life of Mine of a Tailings Gravity Decant System
2:35 PM - 2:45 PMBiography
Leis Day is a Principal Engineer at Red Earth Engineering – A Geosyntec Company and has over 15 years industry experience in tailings and geotechnical engineering as well as civil construction for mining, gas and public works projects within Australia. Leis has worked in Consultant, Client and Contractor teams which provides him with a thorough appreciate of the project life cycle and the challenges that face both Client and Contractor clients. Leis’ focus is on project delivery and uses his varied experiences to drive robust and constructible design solutions for his clients.
Mr Clem Cahill
Technical Director - Tailings
GHD
Strength in Waste: Innovative Tailings Utilization at the Kara Mine
2:45 PM - 2:55 PMBiography
Clem is a seasoned professional with over 12 years of extensive experience in the construction, operation, and closure of Tailings Storage Facilities. As a Technical Director, Clem has successfully led numerous tailings projects across Australia and Southeast Asia, navigating diverse site and climatic conditions. Clem's expertise spans all project phases, including investigation, design, construction, operation, and closure.
Mr Wade Ludlow
Senior Principal
Red Earth Engineering
Considerations for Design, Construction and Operation of Protective Levees and Diversion Drains for In-Pit TSFs
2:55 PM - 3:05 PMBiography
Wade is a Senior Principal with Red Earth Engineering with 25 years experience in all aspects of Tailings Storage Facilities and has worked on both the mine owner and design consultant sides of the table.
Kathy Tehrani
Senior Tailings Engineer
ATC Williams
Q&A with Session Chair
3:05 PM - 3:20 PMBiography
