Drainage from a mining site can have water-quality problems.
Detailed Description
Water running through mine tailings can become polluted
A U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientist and a volunteer sample metal-rich water from a seep draining a pile of mine tailings along Silver Creek, near Park City, Utah. Seeps such as this one can come from tailings piles that are remnants of past mining activities. Contaminants from hardrock mining can come from adits, waste rock piles, and from tailings that were stored along streams.
Sources/Usage
Public Domain.
Related
Mining and Water Quality
Mine drainage is metal-rich water formed from a chemical reaction between water and rocks containing sulfur-bearing minerals. Problems that can be associated with mine drainage include contaminated drinking water, disrupted growth and reproduction of aquatic plants and animals, and the corroding effects of the acid on parts of infrastructures such as bridges.
Related
Mining and Water Quality
Mine drainage is metal-rich water formed from a chemical reaction between water and rocks containing sulfur-bearing minerals. Problems that can be associated with mine drainage include contaminated drinking water, disrupted growth and reproduction of aquatic plants and animals, and the corroding effects of the acid on parts of infrastructures such as bridges.