Behind the Scenes with Bryan

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This is generally a engineering podcast that often pertains to the world of mining, and especially mining waste management, or whatever else captures my imagination. The episodes, thankfully, will be fairly brief.

Bryan Ulrich


    • Jun 4, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • every other week NEW EPISODES
    • 30m AVG DURATION
    • 185 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Behind the Scenes with Bryan

    Episode 182: Another conversation with Mike O'Kane (part 1)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 4, 2025 52:00


    Mike is the Founder and Senior Technical Advisor of Okane Consultants. Okane helps mining companies return the land responsibly and safely at the end of a mine's lifecycle. In this episode Mike and I discuss practical lessons learned from work in mine closure projects.

    Episode 181: A conversation with Caius Priscu

    Play Episode Listen Later May 29, 2025 66:30


    Caius is a specialist civil geotechnical engineer with over 30 years of experience in dams, embankments and earthworks, from concept studies to detailed engineering to construction management, operation and surveillance, closure and rehabilitation. He is also an adjunct professor at the Norman B. Keevil Institute of Mining Engineering. Caius and I chat about his wonderful career and what he has learned along the way.

    Episode 180: a conversation with Scott Martens

    Play Episode Listen Later May 22, 2025 36:03


    Scott has 30 years of technical and leadership experience in geotechnical engineering, with a focus on mining and dam safety. Scott has led multi-disciplinary design teams for complex structures, and served as senior reviewer for high profile, high consequence designs. Scott has managed an engineering group comprising multiple teams and up to 100 total staff, with direct responsibility for annual budgets more than $50 million. Scott led the implementation of the Mining Association of Canada's Tailings Management Protocol within a large mining organization.

    Episode 179: A conversation with Jason West

    Play Episode Listen Later May 7, 2025 30:23


    Jason is the Managing Director of Powerhouse Renewables in Perth, Australia. Powerhouse is seeing good results from some work they've completed with Rio Tinto. Powerhouse is unlike most renewables companies, they not only deliver renewable solutions but they also ensure that the energy transition is optimized through energy efficient technologies.

    Episode 178: a conversation with Mike O'Kane

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 23, 2025 82:04


    This is a lengthier episode, so buckle in for a long ride.Mike is the Founder and now a Senior Technical Advisor to O'Kane Consultants. Mike is a fellow geotechnical engineer. Okane helps mining companies return the land responsibly and safely at the end of a mine's lifecycle. They believe in challenging the status quo and advocating for meaningful partnerships and positive outcomes for community stakeholders and Indigenous rightsholders. Their solutions help their clients achieve positive financial, environmental, and social outcomes from feasibility to relinquishment.

    Episode 177: a conversation with Debbie Struhsacker

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 10, 2025 36:03


    Debbie is a hardrock mining policy expert with over 30 years of hands-on expertise with the environmental and public land laws and regulations pertaining to mineral exploration and mine development.She provides environmental permitting and government relations consulting services to mineral exploration and mining clients. She has a proven track record of successfully representing clients in legislative and administrative issues on the state and federal levels and in securing project permits for exploration and mining projects.Since 1993, she has been an active participant in the legislative dialogue to change the U.S. Mining Law. She has provided testimonies at Congressional hearings on the National Environmental Policy Act, on abandoned mine policies, and the state and federal environmental regulatory framework applicable to modern mines. Most recently, she testified on behalf of the Women's Mining Coalition in July 2021 and May 2022 before the House Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources at hearings on the U.S. Mining Law.Her legislative work in Nevada includes playing a key role in repealing a special state tax on federal mining claims, helping persuade legislators to abandon a legislative proposal to tax minerals prior to severance, and convincing legislators not to raise the tax rate on mineral, oil and gas, and geothermal energy production.She is also one of the founders of the Women's Mining Coalition and currently serves on the Coalition's Board of Directors. She is a Certified Professional Geologist with the American Institute of Professional Geologists. Her professional memberships include the Mining and Metallurgical Society of America; the Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration, Inc.; and the Geological Society of Nevada. She has served twice as a trustee of the Northwest Mining Association (now the American Exploration & Mining Association).

    Episode 176: A conversation with Satish Rao (2)

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 3, 2025 41:55


    Satish is the Managing Director, Clareo, a think tank that is involved in many industrial sectors. As their website says, Clareo is a leading global strategy consulting firm focused on solving complex challenges for the mining, energy, and food sectors. With over 20 years of experience, Clareo collaborates with Fortune 500 clients to develop innovative strategies that drive business transformation and growth.Satish and I discuss the panel discussion he took part in at the MIT Global Summit on Mine Tailings Innovation.

    Episode 175: A conversation with Sina Javankhoshdel

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 20, 2025 36:23


    Sina is a geomechanics product manager at Rocscience. He led the development and improvement of Slide2 and Slide3, two of the most advanced software tools for LEM slope stability analysis as well as probabilistic and reliability-based approaches to geotechnical design. 

    Episode 174: A conversation with Chad LePoudre (Part 2)

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 13, 2025 45:13


    Chad is an internationally recognized, experienced and competent geotechnical engineer, project and operations manager, executive and technical principal. His nearly 34 working years have benefited from a suite of various experiences and learnings, culminating in a career focused on geoenvironmental engineering, tailings engineering and tailings management. Chad and I speak current trends in the tailings world and provide some advice to engineering students and to those just coming out of school.

    Episode 173: A conversation with Allison Coppel

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 6, 2025 46:06


    Allison has had a pretty amazing career, and now specializes in ESG, Sustainability, Community Engagement, Social Impact, Holistic Investments in Natural Resources & Energy, and DEI. Amongst other things, Allison and I discuss DEI and how it can improve our workplace.

    Episode 172 A conversation with Alastair Bovim

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 27, 2025 32:32


    Alastair leads Insight Terra, a company at the forefront of developing real-time monitoring solutions for tailings storage facilities. Based in South Africa, he brings a unique perspective on the evolution of tailings management, particularly in the African mining context. He is involved with SAIMM and recently collaborated with the newly announced Global Tailings Management Institute (GTMI) in South Africa. Alastair and I discuss the future of tailings monitoring and management. Insight Terra's work in implementing cutting-edge technology for real-time monitoring of tailings facilities aligns perfectly with the technical discussions your podcast is known for. I believe your audience would be particularly interested in hearing about the practical applications of these monitoring solutions and how they're helping mining companies meet the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM) requirements.

    Episode 171: A conversation with Hannah Thomas

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 20, 2025 44:03


    Hanna is Geohazard & Ground Engineer at Geovert, a world leader in natural hazard mitigation solutions. She is a self-proclaimed rock and dirt nerd working in the world of geohazards and ground improvement.

    Episode 170: A conversation with David Reid

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 13, 2025 26:56


    David Reid is a Principal Tailings Engineer with Red Earth Engineering, A Geosyntec Company in Perth, Western Australia, but more importantly he runs their lab which offers many advanced testing methods.

    Episode 169: A conversation with Chad LePoudre

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 6, 2025 45:43


    Chad is an internationally recognized, experienced and competent geotechnical engineer, project and operations manager, executive and technical principal. His nearly 34 working years have benefited from a suite of various experiences and learnings, culminating in a career focused on geoenvironmental engineering, tailings engineering and tailings management. Chad and I speak about his impressive career and his current direction in his career and life.

    Episode 168: A conversation with Ben Wickland

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 30, 2025 31:19


    Ben is a Senior Principal Geotechnical Engineer with WSP in British Canada. Ben and I discuss the many merits and challenges associated with comingled tailings and waste rock.

    Episode 167: A conversation with Kim Morrison (Part 2)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 23, 2025 31:57


    Kim literally needs no introduction. She has worked for many years in the consulting world (both with large companies and on her own). She was also the head of tailings for Newmont, one of the largest mining companies in the world. Kim is now back to consulting on her own and in on the teaching staff at CSM. Kim is incredibly accomplished and has more energy than anyone I've ever known. Kim and I discuss numerous activities she has been associated with.

    Episode 166: A conversation with Kim Morrison (Part 1)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 16, 2025 46:55


    Kim literally needs no introduction. She has worked for many years in the consulting world (both with large companies and on her own). She was also the head of tailings for Newmont, one of the largest mining companies in the world. Kim is now back to consulting on her own and in on the teaching staff at CSM. Kim is incredibly accomplished and has more energy than anyone I've ever known. Kim and I discuss numerous activities she has been associated with.

    Episode 165: A conversation with Siamak Paulson

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 5, 2024 40:45


    Siamak is a tailings and landfill specialist, and the overseer of TNA, Tailings News Alerts.

    Episode 164: A conversation with Julie Lucas

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 21, 2024 34:39


    Julie is the Executive Director of Mining Minnesota. Julie leads a coalition of community and industry leaders who advocate for responsible production of mineral resources in Minnesota. Julie previously served as the Environmental Manager of Cleveland-Cliffs' Hibbing Taconite operation, shepherding Minnesota's second largest iron mining and processing facility through environmental permitting and operational compliance. She then guided the water resources program for Twin Metals Minnesota as the Director of Water Resources, including oversight of surface water, groundwater, and wetlands baseline studies and project modeling.

    Episode 163: A conversation with Kim Ferguson

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 7, 2024 36:31


    Kim is the Global Director of Mine Closure at WSP. She has over 25 years of experience in resource projects in most states of Australia and internationally including across Africa and South America, ranging from greenfields exploration to active mine expansions to closure planning and implementation. She has worked in operational, project and consulting roles covering environmental and social impact assessment, mine closure planning and environmental management roles, including regulator and stakeholder engagement. She is a qualified environmental management auditor and has been involved in a number of audits, including due diligence and international audits.

    Episode 162: A conversation with Omar Smith

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 12, 2024 31:18


    Omar is with WSP where he is an Assistant Vice President -Civil Engineer. He is also Vice Chair of the SME Environmental Division Board as well as Vice Chair, SME Tucson Section. Omar and I discuss the role of civil engineering in the design of mine waste management systems and the value of being active in a professional society.

    Episode 161: A conversation with Assheton Carter

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 29, 2024 32:21


    Assheton is the CEO of TDi Sustainability. TDi Sustainability is a global consulting firm that enables business to thrive while living in harmony with people and planet. From responsible sourcing, auditing, and impact investments at the heart of the mining industry, to risk management, ESG standards, compliance, management systems and bespoke digital tools… their global team is at the coal face (literally) to help turn ideas into solutions.

    Episode 160: A conversation with Marco Arrieta

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 15, 2024 35:13


    Marco is the Head of the Geotechnical Department at Line Creek Operation of Elk Valley Resource. He is a geotechnical engineer with over 15 years of experience in open pit mining. He is passionate about nurturing the next wave of geotechnical talent and delights in the playful intricacies of granular materials.

    Episode 159: A conversation with Ryan Sistad

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 8, 2024 29:42


    Ryan is the Executive Director at Better In Our Back Yard. We discuss the many challenges regarding permitting a mine in the US.

    Episode 158: A conversation with Terry Braun

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 31, 2024 39:03


    Terry is President (North America) at SRK Consulting. Terry and I discuss his impressive career and provide advice to the next generation of engineers and scientists.

    Episode 157: A conversation with Marcelo Llano

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 25, 2024 34:48


    Marcelo is a geotechnical engineer with Red Earth Engineering Pty Ltd, now a part of Geosyntec. In this episode Marcelo discusses a recent paper on compaction.

    Episode 156: a conversation with Benjamin Neville

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 18, 2024 33:28


    Benjamin Neville is the Managing Director of the Saligna Management Group. He is Australian based, and a standout in project management and leadership. With engineering credentials from Queensland University of Technology and a commitment to continuous improvement, he's led pivotal projects like the CIMIC One HSE Culture Program at UGL/Gryphon Psychology (2023) and the Mental Health for Leaders initiative at Hitachi (2021-2022). His global talent development efforts were acknowledged in a partnership with Hitachi/Lloyd's Register (2021), and he maintained rigorous standards in management commitment to ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015, and ISO 45001:2018 at Rio Tinto. Benjamin's leadership earned him the Rio Tinto MaD Award (2020) and WHS Excellence recognition from BHP (2019-2020). Beyond his professional achievements, Benjamin enriches his community through volunteer work with Rosies and the Australian Red Cross, highlighting his dedication to societal contributions and personal growth.

    Episode 155: A conversation with Catherine Lalut

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 11, 2024 30:45


    Catherine is an experienced mining engineer with 12+ years in the mining industry, specializing in both underground and open pit operations, and a proven track record of demonstrating strong, effective leadership and team development. Amongst other things, we discuss Catherine's book, " The mine that fell asleep in the Goldfields".

    Episode 154: Snoop rides again

    Play Episode Listen Later May 30, 2024 2:08


    Don't blame this on Snoop. It's parody.

    Episode 153: A conversation with Joe Scalia

    Play Episode Listen Later May 2, 2024 41:41


    Joe is an Associate Professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering at Colorado State University. Amongst other things Joe and I discuss cover design and longevity and the need to get more engineering students interested in tailings.

    Episode 152: A conversation with Dr. Ashok Ghosh

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 25, 2024 37:51


    Ashok is an Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering and Adjunct Faculty, Civil Engineering , New Mexico Tech at New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology. Ashok and I discuss his involvement in green desalination using forward osmosis.

    Episode 151: A conversation with Rens Verburg

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 19, 2024 28:23


    Rens is a Technical Fellow with WSP and a geochemist with more than 30 years of experience in the mining industry.

    Episode 150: A conversation with Carlo Cooper

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 28, 2024 30:07


    Carlo is a director at Minebridge Software, the developers of Muk3D. Carlo and I chat about the capabilities of is software and how it's making TSF design simpler and better.

    Episode 149: A conversation with Carlos Hubner

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 7, 2024 35:25


    Carlos is the RTFE at the Cobre Panama mine which is owned by First Quantum Minerals. The mine is currently under shutdown orders by the Panamanian government. Carlos and I discuss the challenges of maintaining a tailings facility that is in hiatus.

    Episode 148: a conversation with Lindsay Newland Bowker

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 22, 2024 52:33


    Lindsay is an expert in risk management and Executive Director at World Mine Tailings Failures. We discuss here amazing career, and her involvement in tailings which came to her later in life.

    Episode 147: A conversation with Justin Walls.

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 15, 2024 33:19


    Justin is an Associate Partner and Principal Civil Engineer at SRK in Johannesburg, South Africa, specializing in mine closure. Justin and I discuss his approach to closure projects.

    Episode 146: A conversation with Tim Fitton

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 8, 2024 69:33


    Tim Fitton is an independent tailings/geotechnical engineer in Australia, running Fitton Tailings Consultants. Amongst other things Tim and I discuss tailings beach slope prediction.

    Episode 145: A conversation with Marcelo Llano

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 18, 2024 29:36


    Marcelo is a geotechnical engineer with Red Earth Engineering Pty Ltd, now a part of Geosyntec. In this episode Marcelo discusses the material point method (MPM) and the consequences of getting dam breach analysis wrong.

    Episode 144: A conversation with Vikram Yadav

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 12, 2024 38:40


    Vikram Yadav is an Associate Professor in the chemical and biological engineering department at the University of British Columbia and the Director, MEL Program in Sustainable Process Engineering. He is also the Co-Founder of Tersa Earth Innovations. The company is advancing unique biological technologies that extract toxins, metals and metalloids from mine water.

    Episode 143: A conversation with Greg Beischer

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 4, 2024 28:14


    Greg is the Chief Executive Officer and President of Alaska Energy Metals Corporation. Alaska Energy Metals Corporation (AEMC) is working on a large-scale nickel project in Central Alaska to safeguard America's energy future, stemming from the heightened demand for electric vehicles (EV). The demand for nickel is skyrocketing because of its use in EV batteries. AEMC believes nickel will be the main limiting factor on America's ability to transition fully to EVs because it is vulnerable to supply disruption of nickel and therefore must develop its own, domestic sources. Greg has forty years of experience. A geologist and mining engineer technologist by trade, Greg has studied everything from exploration to mineral extraction and environmental control. Greg's natural business acumen led him to found Millrock Resources in 2007. Greg also previously worked with INCO Ltd, the world's leading oil producer and the Bristol Bay Native Corporation, where he forged connections across Alaska. Mr. Beischer is the past President of the Alaska Miner's Association, sits on the Board of Alaska's Resource Development Corporation, and serves on the Alaska Minerals Commission.

    Episode 142: A conversation with Mike Ravella

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 28, 2023 27:35


    Mike Ravella is the Chief Innovation Officer at Veracio. In this episode we discuss Veracio's research, innovation and technology for the mining industry.

    Episode 141: A conversation with Sabrina Dias

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 13, 2023 48:37


    Sabrina is the founder and CEO of SOOP Strategies. We talk about her amazing career and what SOOP does for their clients. SOOP offers mining and sustainability expertise services to the extractives sector. You can find out more about her and her company at https://www.soopstrategies.com/

    Episode 140: A conversation with Matthew Gialich from Astroforge

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 30, 2023 28:35


    Matt is the co-Founder and CEO at AstroForge, an ambitious company who was partnered with Elon Musk's SpaceX in hopes of mining platinum group metals from a near-earth asteroid. Matt and I discuss this seemingly sci-fi journey into space mining.

    Episode 139: A conversation with Marco Arreta

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 15, 2023 23:12


    Marco is the Head of Geotechnical Department - Line Creek Operation for Teck Resources. Marco is researching the shear strength characteristics of waste rock and rock fill.

    Episode 138: A conversation with Ken Rahal

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 26, 2023 36:18


    Ken is the Director of Tailings Solutions at FLSmidth. Amongst other things, Ken and I discuss the current practices and trends in filtration and Ecotails.

    Episode 137: A conversation with Satish Rao

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 18, 2023 25:08


    Satish Rao is a business advisor and a mining expert helping shape the future of sustainable growth for the industrial economy. Currently, he serves as a managing director at Clareo, a global strategy firm, where he focuses on energy, resources, and materials. Rao helps businesses transform to meet future decarbonization, ESG, sustainability, and growth objectives. He has advised some of the world's leading resources, energy, and advanced materials companies such as BHP, Rio Tinto, Anglo American, Baker Hughes, BP, Castrol, GE, Exelon, Owens Corning, Boise Cascade, and Essity.

    Episode 136: A conversation with Alex Pienaar

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 5, 2023 24:44


    In this episode I speak with Alex Pienaar from Bentley Systems, specifically about their data management systems, iTwin IoT and sensemetrics.

    Episode 135: Snoop does the tailings rap

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 12, 2023 2:08


    Don't blame this on Snoop. It's parody.

    Episode 134: A conversation with Michael Ingwersen from Circular Mine

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 7, 2023 24:57


    Michael and I primarily discuss the goals of his company, Circular Mine, which is to reduce/eliminate mine waste primarily by finding viable uses for it. You can find out more about Circular Mine at www.Circular Mine.com Michael spoke about a project with AMIRA that is looking for sponsors. To be a sponsor you need to be a member of AMIRA. If anyone is interested, you could reach out to Silvia Black at silvia.black@amira.global

    Episode 133: A conversation with Walter Weining.

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 17, 2023 21:53


    Walter is a hydrogeologist based in Stantec's Brisbane office. Among other things, Walter and I discuss current and future trends tailings dam monitoring.

    Episode 132: A conversation with Dana Bennett

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 27, 2023 31:05


    Dana is the interim president of the Nevada Mining Association. She is also the past president.

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