Mining Industry Waste a Challenge Dams Can't Always Contain
- Unwanted tailings go into water that can threaten environment
- With iron ore, biggest issue is the high-volume produced
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The dams that ruptured in Brazil Thursday, sending a wall of mud along the countryside, were built to contain the leftover materials from mining known as tailings, and disposing of them safely has long been a challenge for miners.
Typically mixed with water and stored in a slurry form, these scraps can pose threats to wildlife and water supplies if not properly contained. With iron ore mining, the biggest issue is generally one of volume: there is simply too much produced to dump safely into local waterways. That’s forced miners to find other ways to contain the tailings, including in artificial ponds secured by dams.