Definition of Tailings Tailings (also called mine dumps, culm dumps, slimes, tails, refuse, process residue, leach residue or slickens): are the materials and liquids left over after the process of separating the valuable fraction from the uneconomic fraction (gangue) of an ore.
dump Dyke
Water cap
Fine tailings
Dyke
*schematic not representative of all facilities
Several thousand million tonnes of mining waste is produced each year (Jakubick, McKenna et al. 2003).