The increasing of the mining industry in Latin America, combined with the high seismic conditions of some regions, represents a major challenge for geotechnical engineers in relation to the mining waste disposal design. Earthquakes are one of the principal causes of failure in this kind of structures, which are mainly attributed to liquefaction, whose consequences have been catastrophic such as cases history of Mochikoshi Tailings dams, Japan (1978); Cerro Negro and El Cobre, Chile (1965) and Amatista, Nazca, Peru (1996). Therefore, one of the main aspects in the seismic design of these structures is related to the possible liquefaction of the tailings, due to the characteristics of these materials. This paper presents the design criteria, geotechnical characterization and the seismic stability assessment of a tailings dam. This work is presented from practice approach, with emphasis on considerations that involved the dynamic analysis of a project at the design stage and the evaluation of liquefaction in this structure. The analysis results, interpretation and conclusions are presented based in local and international guidelines.