Programs that provide for the removal and safe disposal of waste materials called "tailings" that are left over from mining operations after the ore has been extracted. Tailings contain heavy metals or other toxic substances or, in the case of uranium tailings, low levels of radioactive materials, that can migrate to surrounding soil, ground water and surface water creating a long-term health hazard. In some cases, the tailings from uranium mining operations were used as fill dirt or incorporated into various construction materials that were used to stabilize the ground under roads, sidewalks and dwellings in populated areas and are now recognized as hazardous.
No programs.