This section contains a large and growing number of examples and checklists as resources to mines, management, staff and consultants, local community member, and review board member. These will all come over the next couple months; watch this space.
Newsletter — Hot topics in mine review boards
- January 2026 – Professional registration for review board members
- February 2026 – Liability for review board members
- March 2026 – Involving communities in review boards
Big picture
- Curated reference list / papers
- The review board as a system
- 12 review board tasks
- Salient quotes about review boards
- How to identify high-functioning review boards
- Credible failure modes for review boards
- 15 commandments for a review board meeting
- Opportunities to improve review board performance
- Trends in review boards
- Micro case histories in review board successes and failures
For mine management and organizers
- Outline of a review board charter
- Example review board charter
- Examples of review board charters from the literature
- Types of review boards
- Size of review boards
- Qualities of a good review board member
- Selecting review board members
- Checklist for onboarding new review members
- Checklist for keeping review board members
- Cost of a review board
- Spreadsheet regarding probability of scheduling a meeting
- Checklist for a good review board meeting agenda
- Checklist for a good review board field tour
- Checklist for a review board recommendations log
- Data on minutes per slide for review board presentations
- Examples of external review board letters
For presenters
- Checklist for presenters
- Anatomy of a good review board presentation
- Guide to preparation of cross-sections
- Guide to preparation of maps
- Checklist for a mine management update presentation
- Davidson’s list of questions for a review board
- How to write a good review board question
For review board members
- A 25-year bucket-list for aspiring review board members
- Checklist for reviewing a draft agenda
- Checklist for a review board readout
- Checklist for a review board report
- Review board member liability
- How to avoid aging out
- Framing review board comments
- Formulating a review board recommendation
- A priority system for review board recommendations
- List of central tensions in review board meetings
- List of situations to watch out for in review board meetings
- What not to do in a review board meeting
References
The following publications on mining review boards are listed below, each linked to a PDF for viewing or download.
- BCMCZ. 2023. FOIPPA report on copies of independent tailings review board charters for BC mines (2016-2023). British Columbia Ministry of Citizens’ Services letter to McKenna Geotechnical Inc dated 2023-11-06. 178p.
- Burnett A & McKenna G. 2022. Celebrating 50 years: the Syncrude Review Board. Canadian Dam Association Conference. St. John’s. 20p.
- Davidson R. 2019. The role of a review board in creating resilient design. ANCOLD Resilient Dams and Levees for Resilient Communities. Auckland. 5p.
- Diavik Geotechnical Review Board. 2004. Report No 1A. Diavik Geotechnical Review Board meeting June 28 to July 1, 2004. Diavik Diamond Mine. Yellowknife. 10p.
- GEO. 2021. Slope safety technical review board. Information Note 22/2021 dated March 2021. Geotechnical Engineering Office. Hong Kong. 3p.
- Gerritsen T, Johndrow T, Ridlen PW, Winckler C, & Yenna L. 2023. Leveraging knowledge and experience of a well-formed independent tailings review board to enhance tailings facility safety. Management for Safe Dams” – 91st Annual ICOLD Meeting. Gothenburg. 10p.
- GISTM. 2020. The Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management. GlobalTailingsReview.org. 40p.
- Gordon J. 2009. Hydro Review Boards – an important component for a successful development. IEEE Electric Power Conference. Montreal. 6p.
- Gornail JA & Garcia SD. 2025. Exploring the Brooklyn Bridge: A Historical Marvel of Engineering & New York City Icon in Pictures. Fine Print New York. Internet website accessed 2025-10-28. 27p.
- Griggs F. 2016. Brooklyn Bridge, Part 1. Structure Magazine. National Council of Structural Engineers Associations. Sep. p30-32.
- Harris B & Schipani A. 2020. Vale Ex-CEO charged with homicide over dam disaster. Financial Times. Newspaper article published 2020-01-21. 4p.
- Hoek E & Imrie A. 1995. Consulting boards for large civil engineering projects. Water Power and Dam Construction. Volume 47. Number 8. p33-34.
- Hoek E. 2001. Geotechnical review boards in mining. Geotechnical News. March. p43-45.
- Hoekstra G. 2015. Mining review boards may not be accountable to gov’t, public. Newspaper article dated 2015-03-17. Prince George Citizen.
- ICMM. 2021 Tailings management good practice guide. International Council on Mining & Metals. 128p.
- KSM IGRB. 2017. Review of Water Dam, Water Management and Tailings Storage Systems, KSM Project, British Columbia, Canada. Review Board report for Seabridge Gold. Report No2. Draft dated Nov. 48p.
- KSM IGRB. 2018. Review of Water Dam, Water Management and Tailings Storage Systems, KSM Project, British Columbia, Canada. Review Board report for Seabridge Gold. Report No3. Report dated June. 22p.
- KSM. 2015. Terms of Reference for KSM Independent Geotechnical Review Board. Letter dated Jan 7, 2015. Seabridge Gold. Vancouver. 9p.
- LDI. 2021. Mining with the End in Mind: Landform Design for Sustainable Mining. Position Paper 2021-01. March. Landform Design Institute. Delta BC. 78p.
- Martin TE, Davies MP, Rice S, Higgs T, Lighthall PC. 2002. Stewardship of tailings facilities. Consultant’s report for MMSD Mining, Minerals and Sustainable Development. AMEC Earth and Environmental, Burnaby, BC. 37p.
- Matich M. 1986. Design and Review Boards. Alberta Dam Safety Seminar. Edmonton. 15p.
- McKenna G. 1998. Celebrating 25 Years: Syncrude’s Geotechnical Review Board. Geotechnical News. Volume 16. p34-41.
- McKenna G. 2022. Building and Operating a Successful Geotechnical Review Board. Canadian Dam Association Annual Conference. St John’s. 30p.
- Morgenstern N. 2010. Improving the safety of mine waste impoundments. Tailings & Mine Waste Conference. Vail. p3-10.
- NASA. 2014. NASA Standing Review Board Handbook. Rev A. Report NASA/SP-2014-3706 dated Apr 7. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Washington. 116p.
- Panama Canal BOCE. 1906. Report of the Consulting Engineers for the Panama Canal. Government Printing Office. Washington. 1906. 426p.
- Robertson AM & Caldwell J. 2015. Tailings Facility Review and Evaluation Standards. In Proceedings Tailings and Mine Waste 2015 Conference, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. 10p.
- Robertson, A., and S. Shaw. 2003. Risk Management for Major Geotechnical Structures on Mines. Computer Application in the Mineral Industry. Calgary. 18p.
- Robotham Consulting Services. 2024. Guideline for the use of geotechnical review boards. Consultants report prepared for The Large Open Pit III Project. Taringa Australia. 11p.
- Straker J & McKenna G. 2022. The Case for a Reclamation Designer of Record. BC Mine Reclamation Symposium. 15p.
- Whitford NE. 1921 History of the Barge Canal of New York State. Supplement to the Annual Report of the State Engineer and Surveyor for the Year Ended June 30, 1921. Albany. 681p.