The areas in Saxony and Thuringia generally referred to as “Wismut region” were adversely affected by more than 40 years of unrestrained mining and processing of uranium ores. When uranium mining was abruptly terminated at the end of 190, there was widespread environmental devastation affecting public health and the environment.
The mining legacy included 1.400 km of open mine workings, 311 million m3
of waste rock, and 160 million m3 of radioactive sludges (tailings) located in densely populated areas.
Remediation of this legacy is the task assigned to the federally-owned company Wismut GmbH. The remedial effort is focussed on:
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