It is important to remark, that all the hazardous wastes identified
were non-specific Zn and Pb mining hazardous wastes. In
this sense, it is relevant to highlight that acid tailings (and tailing
ponds) containing hazardous compounds, as well as melting
slags are not considered as hazardous wastes in the Chilean new
“Hazardous Waste Management Regulation”. This decision was
made of course at a political level and not at a technical one,
knowing that tailing ponds are in Chile (a traditional mining
country) one of the most important environmental passives to
be remediated in the future.