Development of a user-friendly method to assess the present condition of old abandoned mining waste dumps in Asturias (Spain)

In regions with a strong mining tradition and ties, there are numerous waste dumps, many of which are old, even abandoned, without any existing company having the responsibility of reclaiming them. These waste dumps have both an environmental and socioeconomic impact and can even lead to problems of safety. In this article, a simple, fast-to-use method for qualitatively and quantitatively assessing the situation of old waste dumps is presented. It has been applied to existing waste dumps in the region of Asturias and three of the analyzed examples are presented. Thanks to its simplicity, the method can be implemented by non-technical personnel (i.e. non-experts in the specific problems of mining waste dumps) and can be applied in other mining regions. However, the method only constitutes a tool, which cannot replace mandatory construction projects or the obligation to comply with current regulations.