BODIES OF EXTRACTION




Project

Thesis

Compendium

Material

Journal

Literature

Archive

Contact




01. Molybdenite

02. Molybdenum

03. Fragment no. 1

04. Fragment no. 2

05. Fragment no. 3

06. Fragment no. 4

07. Fragment no. 5

08. Steel

09. Industrial steel

10. Stainless-steel

11. Mining waste

  

MATERIAL




11.

Mining waste

Lille Knabentjødn


During the mining operations, waste materials were deposited in two former lakes: Lille Knabetjødn and Store Knabetjødn. Lille Knabetjødn has been completely filled, while Store Knabetjødn is partially filled. The area between these lakes was also infilled, resulting in a sand landfill approximately 120 acres in size and up to 20 meters thick, containing about 4 million cubic meters of mining waste. This waste includes elevated levels of molybdenum, copper, and zinc.

Over time, fine-grained sand from the landfill has been transported downstream, negatively affecting aquatic life by creating poor spawning conditions for fish. To mitigate these environmental impacts, several measures have been implemented, including the construction of channels to divert surface water around the landfill and the establishment of vegetation belts to prevent sand from entering waterways. In 2012, significant amounts of sand were relocated from the northern part of the landfill to the southern part to further reduce environmental risks.

Today, the former mining area of Knaben has transformed into a recreational site. The mining town is uninhabited, with existing buildings repurposed as holiday homes and accommodations. The sand landfill, known as "Sanden," has become a state-regulated outdoor recreational area, particularly popular for skiing during the winter months