8. Special case of mining waste management

This is old uranium-bearing waste produced at uranium ore mining or exploration sites. The two main categories of mining waste are waste rock – containing a variable quantity of ore, but too small to justify processing – and tailings from the processing of rich ores – consisting of sludge containing residual uranium pollution and most of its descendants.

The MIMAUSA database, maintained by IRSN, lists 210 sites resulting from former mining activities (old galleries, open-cast mines, waste rock piles, etc.). These sites may present radiometric anomalies (dose rate above background), either natural or due to the presence of waste rock. The associated radiological risks can easily be limited if the uses of these sites are well controlled. Some of these uses, such as the use of water from the sites for livestock activities, need to be checked to ensure that they are...