[iancmceachern]

Lots of places still do this, and just burn it in open pits.

Places you would need expect like Tahiti which is a French Overseas Entity, and even Hawaii. There aren't a lot of options in some places.

[fallingknife]

This is mining waste. It's rocks and dirt. You can't burn it.

[salt-thrower]

Not just rocks and dirt. Mining waste is often toxic - heavy metals, acid, that sort of thing.

[iancmceachern]

Some you can, like coal

[fallingknife]

That's the product, not the waste

[iancmceachern]

The earth doesn't care.

I was making the point that the parent commenter made an arbitrary distinction that wasn't even true.

There are other minerals, rather are side effects of mining the true target minerals, that are "burnable". They're used in fireworks to make them different colors.

https://mineralseducationcoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/te...