W artykule przedstawiono wyniki badań laboratoryjnych drobnoziarnistych odpadów wydobywczych wzmocnionych cementem. Badania wykonano w celu sprawdzenia ich przydatności do modernizacji istniejących obwałowań przeciwpowodziowych rzeki Wisły na km 87+600 – 103+000. Zaproponowano modernizację wału przez podwyższenie, za pomocą mieszanki odpadów wydobywczych i cementu portlandzkiego. Dla zaproponowanej konstrukcji przedstawiono wyniki obliczeń numerycznych współczynnika stateczności w programie MIDAS GTS N X dla podstawowego układu obciążeń oraz wyjątkowego układu obciążeń. Modelowano również sposób przepływu wody w korpusie wału podczas fali wezbraniowej o prawdopodobieństwie wystąpienia 0,1%. Do badań wykorzystano odpad wydobywczy o uziarnieniu od 0 do 2,0 mm z Zakładu Górniczego Sobieski we wschodniej części Górnośląskiego Zagłębia Węglowego. O dpad ten powstaje w wyniku przeróbki węgla. W pracy przedstawiono wyniki badań laboratoryjnych przeprowadzonych w L aboratorium Katedry Współdziałania Budowli z Podłożem Politechniki Krakowskiej. Wyznaczono właściwości fizyczne i mechaniczne odpadów pobranych z hałdy oraz tych samych odpadów wzmocnionych spoiwem cementowym. Wzmocnienie odpadów wydobywczych zastosowanych w modernizacji wału przeciwpowodziowego miało na celu zmniejszenie degradacji materiału pod wpływem warunków atmosferycznych oraz czynników mechanicznych.

The utilization of mining waste is an important problem in Poland and Ukraine. The article presents one of the variants of waste mining in the quarry in Płaza. An analysis of the resource base of the deposit and their location at the area of Płaza deposit is carried out. The Płaza deposit is located in the western part of the Małopolskie province, in the entire Chrzanów commune. The Płaza deposit is constructed of Middle Triassic carbonates represented by the limestone-dolomite Olkusz Formation and the limestone-marlized Gogolin Formation. The deposit series lies on the dolomites of Röt age (Lower Triassic – Olenekian). The most valuable raw material was the pure limestone from the lower part of the Olkusz Formation, now almost completely exploited. The article presents the current state of mineable reserves of the deposit and their quality (chemical and physical characteristics). Moreover the article shows potential consumers of raw material and the possibility of extending the life of the mine work. According to the results of the environmental monitoring the ground and hydrogeological conditions were evaluated, the results of which allowed a more efficient use of the existing quarry area for mining waste disposal to be proposed. The paper presents a conceptual waste transport scheme, planned distribution and compaction of wastes belonging to the first, second and third group and then a surface reclamation. In view of the absence of similar decisions analogs, the consideration of the open-pit as a one solid geomechanical system functioning under the conditions of uncertainty is suggested. In order to examine the dynamics of the waste compaction process, some measures are foreseen to constantly observe their subsidence. The proposed measures for the synchronous disposal of mining waste in the worked-out area of the open-pit and the simultaneous mining operation in the quarry will allow the life cycle of the open-pit to be prolonged for 15–20 years.

Mining wastes are by-products generated during search, excavation and processing, both physical and chemical, of ores and other minerals. In 2017, wastes from group 01 constituted 60% of total wastes produced in Poland. According to the statistical data, approximately 92% of the waste generated during the excavation and processing of hard coal is economically reused. 30% of this waste used in industry and nearly 70% is used for the reclamation of the degraded industrial areas. At present, there is a tendency in the E uropean Union to shift from a linear economy to the Circular E conomy. The goal is to maintain economical value of the resources, among others, by their reuse in a productive way, which at the same time eliminates waste. One of the industrial branch where the ideals of a Circular E conomy can be implemented is the mining industry. Mining wastes may form one of the sources of anthropogenic minerals, as they belong to alternative aggregates. Deposits of anthropogenic minerals are considered sources of valuable raw materials which guarantee that the products made on their basis will be of high quality. The article presents the results of physico-chemical tests, the leachability of contaminations and phytotoxicity tests carried out on the basis of the selected mining waste in light of a Circular E conomy.

Significant quantities of coal sludge are created during the coal enrichment processes in the mechanical processing plants of hard coal mines (waste group 01). These are the smallest grain classes with a grain size below 1 mm, in which the classes below 0.035 mm constitute up to 60% of their composition and the heat of combustion is at the level of 10 MJ/kg. The high moisture of coal sludge is characteristic, which after dewatering on filter presses reaches the value of 16–28% (Wtot r) (archival paper PG SILESIA). The fine-grained nature and high moisture of the material cause great difficulties at the stage of transport, loading and unloading of the material. The paper presents the results of pelletizing (granulating) grinding of coal sludge by itself and the piling of coal sludge with additional material, which is to improve the sludge energy properties. The piling process itself is primarily intended to improve transport possibilities. Initial tests have been undertaken to show changes in parameters by preparing coal sludge mixtures (PG SILESIA) with lignite coal dusts (LEAG). The process of piling sludge and their mixtures on an AGH laboratory vibratory grinder construction was carried out. As a result of the tests, it can be concluded that all mixtures are susceptible to granulation. This process undoubtedly broadens the transport possibilities of the material. The grain composition of the obtained material after granulation is satisfactory. Up to 2 to 20 mm granules make up 90–95% of the product weight. The strength of the fresh pellets is satisfactory and comparable for all mixtures. Fresh lumps subjected to a test for discharges from a height of 700 mm can withstand from 7 to 14 discharges. The strength of the pellets after longer seasoning, from the height of 500 mm, shows different values for the analyzed samples. The values obtained for hard coal sludge and their blends with brown coal dust are at the level from 4 to 5 discharges. The strength obtained is sufficient to determine the possibility of their transport. At this stage of the work it can be stated that the addition of coal dust from lignite does not cause the deterioration of the material’s strength with respect to clean coal sludge. Therefore, there is no negative impact on the transportability of the granulated material. As a result of mixing with coal dusts, it is possible to increase their energy value (Klojzy-Karczmarczyk at al. 2018). The cost analysis of the analyzed project was not carried out.

In the process of extraction and enrichment of coal waste, considerable quantities of waste material are produced, mainly the gangue and coal sludge, considered as waste or raw material. The main directions of the management development of the waste rock are the production of aggregates, the production of energy products and the liquidation works in hard coal mines and the filling of excavations. The paper proposes the extension of these activities to the use of waste material. The possibility of using aggregates or extractive waste to fill open-pit excavations has been proposed, also in areas within the reach of groundwater and the possibility of building insulation layers of waste material and the production of mixtures of hard coal sludge and sewage sludge to produce material with good energy properties. The analysis was based on the author’s own research and literature data related to selected parameters of waste material. This paper presents our own preliminary studies on the amount of combustion heat and the calorific value of coal sludge combined with other wastes such as sewage sludge. The proposed methods and actions are part of the current directions of development, but they allow the extension of the scope of use of both extractive waste and products produced on the basis of gangue or coal sludge. Due to the frequent lack of the stable composition of these materials, their current properties should be assessed each time before attempting to use them. The fact that it is important to continue research to promote existing economic use and to seek new activities or methods has been concluded.

During the extraction of nuclear raw materials, rare earths and other elements from ores containing uranium and thorium, various types of radioactive waste and some recovery tailings are generated. Mining and ore processing residues, i.e. waste and tailings, present a variety of problems related to waste management. Their bulky structure prevents their disposal underground, and their long radioactive half-life causes various problems with regard to their long-term storage. As a matter of fact, the secondary presence of nuclear raw materials together with other minerals requires compliance with hazardous waste procedures in the storage of waste containing nuclear raw materials after the recovery of these main minerals. It may be possible in the future to recover these nuclear raw materials from stockpiles of stored mine waste. The prospect of imbalances in the global uranium supply and demand increases the importance of secondary sources contributing to the global uranium supply. The increasing importance of secondary sources of nuclear raw materials suggests that more attention should be paid to the recovery of these resources together with primary minerals than in the past. In world literature, there is no review article that describes and discusses the waste management of nuclear raw materials in mining and mineral processing together with the opportunities and obstacles for their recovery. Considering this deficiency in the literature, in this study, the properties of waste and tailings resulting from mining and ore preparation activities of nuclear raw materials are explained, the difficulties encountered are mentioned, and solution suggestions are presented by making use of the literature on the recovery of tailings and waste management.