Health hazards residents near mine dumps fcae?

Answer 1

In general there are few if any health hazards associated with living near a current mine dump in the United States. Mining is heavily regulated by many groups including the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the Mine Health and Safety Administration (MSHA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and local health and environmental regulatory agencies. Mines are required to extensively process their tailings (mine waste) and store them in a safe manor. At the end of a mine's usable life the mining company is required to reclaim the mining site, meaning they must restore it to a state similar to what it was before mining took place. There are possible risks associated with old mine dump sites (pre 1960's) that were established before these regulations were put into place. These risks could include respiratory issues associated with taconite mines and acid or cyanide poisoning from precious metals mines.