Can you imagine hauling thousands of truckloads of sloppy tailings back along a 5-mile haul road, the last half mile of which is 4WD? And then somehow dumping 4 million tons of that soupy stuff on a hillside and expecting it to stay put? And still make money?
One of the most challenging problems facing legit miners is handling tailings. And doing it in a way that protects the environment and does not make the project fail cost feasibility.