Integrated approach to assessment of tailing dumps of processing plants as secondary deposits

Tailing dumps account for up to 70% of all waste produced by mining and metallurgical industries. In this article, we discuss the positive experience of using this type of waste at the Kovdorsky GOK (Murmansk Oblast, Russia) and the Norilsk Nickel MMC (Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia), along with the examples of negative experience. Survey data on a number of tailing damps in Central Asia, the North Caucasus, and the Urals is provided. On the basis of the results obtained, recommendations are formulated regarding methods and technologies for investigating such objects. The conclusion is made about the prospects of involving tailing damps in recycling. The presented information may be useful for specialists in the fields of geology, metallurgy, ore beneficiation, and environmental protection.