mining waste
Ore processing residue
Mining waste is the unwanted material removed or left over from extracting minerals, ores, or other geological resources.
This includes overburden (rock and soil cleared to reach deposits), tailings (finely ground residue from processing ore), and slag (byproducts of smelting).
Mining waste poses significant environmental challenges—contaminating water, releasing heavy metals, and requiring long-term containment: The dam holding back mining waste collapsed, polluting the river for miles.
- tailingsPost-extraction mineral waste
- slagIndustrial metalworking byproduct
- spoilDamage or overindulge
- overburdenLoad beyond capacity
- open pitSurface-level excavation site
leachate · toxic · contamination · runoff · heap · pit · sludge · arsenic · cyanide · groundwater · remediation · reclamation · dump · pond · acid · drainage · toxic runoff · heavy metals
- Environmental problemsair pollution, water pollution, climate change, global warming, habitat loss
- pollutionair pollution, water pollution, soil pollution, smog, noise pollution
- Contaminantspollutants, pollutant, heavy metals, toxin, pesticides
- hazardsfire hazard, fire hazards, toxin, contamination, tripping hazard
- hazardous wastehazmat, hazardous material, toxic chemicals, PCBs, asbestos
- pollutantspollutants, pollutant, contaminant, contaminants, toxin
mining wasteore
Metal-bearing rock
mineral deposit · precious metals · pay dirt · motherlode · rich vein
mining wastereclaimed land
Ground taken from sea
environmental restoration · natural environment · reforestation · ecological recovery
mining, waste, mine, mined, miner, miners, mines, wasted, wastes