Stability of the dam at the Sillamaee tailings pond

The tailings pond at Sillamaee is contained by a dam located 30 to 50 meters from the waters of the Baltic Sea. The tailings pond was begun in the 1950s, at which time the height of the dam was 12 m. It has been increased since then to 25 m. The apparently realtively unplanned buildup of the dam and lack of maintenance have led to a decrease in the stability of the dam. In its present conditions, the dam of the tailings pond is less stable than is recommended by international practice. Estonian, Norwegian, Swedish, and Finnish specialists have investigated various aspects of the dam's stability. This paper summarizes their findings and makes recommendations for further work