Mine-Refuse Impoundments in the United States

Changing mining and processing techniques, utilization of lower grades of ore, and increased demand for fuels and minerals are resulting in the acceleration of increased size, rapidity of construction, and numbers of major mine, mill, and plant refuse embankments throughout the United States. These factors all contribute to the need for greater engineering consideration of the refuse structures, especially those impounding water, from their initiation through their abandonment. Major refuse embankment failures throughout the world, and the increasing hazard potential resulting from increased size and location in developed areas, have resulted in regulation of mine refuse embankments in a number of ICOLD member countries as well as the USA. This paper describes the development of variuos types of mine, mill, and plant refuse embankments, and surveys the factors influencing their effectiveness, efficiency, economy, safety, environmental suitability and proper use of resources. These aspects of the waste embankment problem are discussed with consideration of the problems involved for those responding to regulations as well as for those involved in their administration. The present state-of-the-art in the United States and South America and the present programs for the development of improved technology and regulatory control are described. Waste material types, structure types, and state or condition characteristics and classification systems are presented in this paper.