Essar Steel Tailings Basin

About Essar Steel Tailings Basin

The primary purpose of Essar Steel Tailings Basin is tailings. Tailings dams contain waste material from mining operations — typically a slurry of finely ground rock left over after valuable minerals have been extracted. These structures require ongoing monitoring because tailings can contain heavy metals and other contaminants. The dam is owned by Essar Steel Minnesota (private). It impounds the O'brien Creek-os near Pengilly.

The dam stands 200 feet tall and stretches 30,600 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 1,377 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 13,770 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles. Completed in 2011, the structure is relatively new.

This dam has a significant hazard potential classification, meaning that a failure could cause significant economic damage — flooding roads, bridges, or property downstream — but is not expected to result in loss of life. Its condition is rated satisfactory, indicating no existing or potential dam safety deficiencies are recognized. The most recent inspection on record was 10/05/2023.

At 200 feet, this dam is taller than 99% of all dams in the United States.

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