Tailings (the materials left over after the removal of the uneconomic fraction (gangue) of the ore) also provide some of the archaeological evidence from Otago gold mine sites.
Tailings, the material left over after the extraction of ore from its host material
Adastra Minerals Inc., incorporated in Canada with executive offices in the United Kingdom, and known from 1995 to 2004 as America Mineral Fields Inc., held two joint ventures, the Kolwezi Tailings Project (cobalt and copper) and a zinc-copper mine at Kipushi, both in Katanga Province.
F. acidophilum is generally found in acidic mine tailings, primarily those containing pyrite (FeS2).
Both the Strickland and the Ok Tedi Rivers have been the source of environmental controversy due to tailings waste from the Porgera Mine and the Ok Tedi Mine, respectively.
It is found in a wide range of habitats including the splash zone of the Pacific Ocean, the geysers of Yellowstone National Park, alpine meadows, serpentine barrens, and even on the toxic tailings of copper mines.