The Tailings Center

About The Tailings Center

Tailings facilities are an integral part of mining, yet the professionals who design, operate, and close them are in short supply, a gap made worse by the lack of focused undergraduate training programs. A 2021 Colorado State University study found that more than 75% of surveyed practitioners rated the shortage of qualified professionals as "critical," and that 78% had not entered the field intentionally. At the same time, the energy transition is driving record demand for the copper, lithium, and other critical minerals that mining must supply, producing ever greater volumes of tailings to manage. The Tailings Center is an industry-university partnership dedicated to supporting and advancing mine tailings and waste management. We offer education, research, and active workforce development to close this gap, combining academic excellence with industry partnership.